Skip to main content

Full text of "The wonders of the world : a popular and authentic account of the marvels of nature and of man as they exist to-day"

See other formats 


<\: 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF. CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 

MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


THE  WONDERS  OF  THE  WORLD. 


Paintedhy  G.  H.  Edwards. 


LAKE     BUJUKU     AND     RUWENZORI. 


Photo  by  Vitiorio  Sella, 


This  scene,  in  the  very  heart  of  Africa,  is  one  beyond  all  comparison  in  its  grandeur.      In  the  hollow  lies  Lake  Bujuku,  a  splendid 

sheet  of  calm  water  surrounded  by  grotesque  forests  of  senecio  mingled  with  clumps  of  everlasting  flowers.      Towering  far  above  it 

are  the  snow-whiie  peaks  of  Mount  Stanley  and  Mount  Baker  of  tlie  Ruwenzori  range. 


THE 


Wonders 


OF    THE 


WORLD 


^ 


From  stereo  copyright  by'] 


IKevstone  Vietr  Co, 


THE    CRATER    OF    LA    SOUFRIERE 


A  POPULAR  AND  AUTHENTIC 
ACCOUNT  OF  THE  /MARVELS  « 
OF  NATURE  AND  OF  A\AN  AS 
THEY     EXIST    TO-DAY     .... 


eyniNENT  travellers 

rNCLUDING 

SIR    HARRY   JOHNSTON 

G.C.M.G.,     K.C.B. 

ALAN    H.    BURGOYNE 

M.P.,     F.R.G.S. 

PERCEVAL    LANDON 


J.    THOMSON 

F.R.G.S. 

AND    MANY    OTMEK5 


Vol.   II. 
ILLUSTRATED 

WITH      14     COLOURED     PLATES      AND 

484    REPRODUCTIONS  IN    BLACK  AND 

WHITE,    INCLUDING    nANY    UNIQUE    . 

PHOTOGRAPHS   OF   RECENT    DISCOVERIES 


London:  Hutchinson  &  Co.,  paternoster  row 


Printed  at  the  Chapel  River  Press, 
Kin<'ston-on-Thames 


CONTENTS    OF    VOL.    II. 


APRICA. 

PAGE 

XV.    By  Sie  Harry  Johnston,  G.C.M.G. -        -        -   449 

NORTH   AMERICA. 

XVI.    By  George  Wharton  James -        -  481 

XVII.    By  Nugent  M.  Clougher,  P.R.G.S. 513 

XVIII.    By  George  Wharton  James 577 

XIX.     By  p.  J.  Tabor  Prost 635 

CENTRAL   AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 
XX.    By  Lewis  Spence 641 

EUROPE. 

XXI.    By  Charles  Rudy         -        -        -        -        - 681 

XXII.    By  Charles  White -        -  714 

XXIII.  By  Charles  Rudy 759 

XXIV.  By  Douglas  Sladen     - 789 

XXV.    By  Douglas  Sladen,  John  Dill  Ross,  E.  P.  Whitby,  and  others       -        -  817 

APPENDIX. 
By  Philip  Sergeant  and  P.  W.  Christian 889 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

— ♦ 

COLOURED     PLATES 

Lake  Buguku  and  Ruwenzori Frouiisinccc 

The  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado  Riveh,  Arizona         ....  Fucimj    481 

The  Great  Pountain  Geyser,  Yellowstone  Park .,        513 

The  Palls  of  Niagara  in  Winter „        5i5 

The  Sapphire  Hot  Spring,  Yellowstone  Park „         577 

The  Hot  Spring,  Yellowstone  Lake,  Yellowstone  Park          ...  „        609 

Ollantay-tampu ,,641 

Alhambra „         673 

Venice ,,705 

Pompeii „        737 

The  Matterhorn „         769 

The  Jungfrau „        801 

The  Church  of  the  Resurrection  of  Christ „        883 

The  Leaning  Tower  of  Pisa   ...        -                ,,865 


Mr?095B2 


BLACK    AND    WHITE    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


AFRICA. 


Aden,  The  Tanks  of         .  .  .     400 

Amenhotep  III.,  The  Forecourt  of     .     4-19 
Dendera,  Temple  of  Hathor     .  .     473, 

474,  475,  476 
Edfu,  Temple  of      .  .  .       477, 478 

Kaiio,  The  City  of    453,  454,  455,  450,  457 


lAc.K 

4G4 


Kiruiiga-Cha-Goiigo,  The  Crater  of 
Lightning  on  the  Northern  Congo      .     465 
Luxor,  Temple  of     .  .     450,  451,  452 

Mfumbiro,  The  Caves  of  .  .  .     462 

Namlagira,  The  Volcano  of     .  .     463 

Uiiwenzori,  Views  of         .  .       471, 472 


Thebes,  The  Kamesseum  .  .     480 

Tinigad  .  .  .458, 459, 460, 401 

Tlemcen.  Jlosque  of  Sidi-bu-Medin  .    407, 
468,  469,   470 
Transvaal,  The  Premier  Diamond  Mine  479 


605,  606,  607 

.  608 

.  609 

.  529 

.  530 

.  576 

.  627 

.  500 

.  502 


Acoma : 

The  Pueblo 

Natural  Bridge    . 

The  Trail    . 
Alaska  : 

Alert  Bay  Totem  Poles . 

A  Totem     . 

Muir  Glacier 
Alert  Bay,  Tree  Burial     . 
Arizona : 

The  CUff  Dwellings 

Stalagmites 

A  Hopi  Indian  Village      504,  505,  500, 

507,  508 

Avalanche,  The  ESects  of  an  .     537 

The  Petrified  Forest,  552,  553,  554,  555, 

556 

Red  Mountain  Crater 

Havasu  Canyon  . 

The  Roosevelt  Dam 

The  Blue  Canyon 
Bermuda,  Coral  Rocks 
CaUfornia : 

Cloud  Formation 

The  Big  Trees 


.  587 
.  619, 020 
.  623, 024 
625,  626,  628 

.     540 


.     510 
588,  589,  590,  591 


^ORTH    AMERICA. 


Ceiba,  The 
Chelly,  Canyon  de 
Chff  DwelUngs,  The  : 

Mancos  Canyon    . 

Walnut  Canyon    . 

Sierra  Madre,  Mexico 

Pajarito  Park 


I'AUK 

527 
577 


.     499 
.       629,  630,  631 
.     575 
611,  612,  613,  614 
Canyon  del  Muerto,    577,  578,  579,  580, 

581 

Colorado  River  : 

Grand  Canyon  of    .     481,  482,  483,  484, 

485,  486,  487 

The  Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross         .     509 

Garden  of  the  Gods       .     561,  562,  563, 

564,   565,  566 

Monument  Park  ....     603 

Cotopaxi,  Mount      ....     049 

Cuba,  The  Caves  of  Bellamar     .  .     532 

Guadeloupe,  La  Soufriere  .  .     557 

Guanacatlan  Falls,  Mexico        .  .     558 

Guanajuato,  The  Catacombs,  Mexico, 

559,  560 
Kentucky,  Mammoth  Caves  600,  601,  602 
Labrador,  Icebergs  .       542,  543,  544 

Manila,  Burial  Vault        .         .         .     592 


I'ACK 

Mesa  \'erde,  The  ClilT  Palace     .  .     501 

Mitla,  The  Ruins  of        517,  518,  519,  520, 

521 

Mont  Pel^e      .  .  .       513,  514,  515 

Nevada,  Fossil  Footprints         .  632 

New  York,  The  "  Skyscrapers  "     488,  489, 

490,  491,  492 

Niagara  : 

Tunnel  in  a  Rock  .  .  .     545 

The  Falls,    546,  547,  548,  549,  550,  551 

Oregon  : 

Crater  Lake  ....     539 

Moimt  Hood         .  .  .       595, 596 

Paradise  Glacier,  An  Ice  Cave  .  .     510 

Pike's  Peak,  Sunrise         .  .  .     004 

Polar  Sun,  The         .         .  .  .594 

Popocatepetl  .....  520 
Robson,  Mount  ....  538 
Rocky  Mountains,  Lake  Louise  .  535 
San  Francisco,Claus  Spreckels  Building,  574 
San  Salvador,  Mount  Izalco  .  647,  048 
Superior,  Lake  ....  525 
Teotihuacan,  The  Pyramid  of  the  Sun,  541 
Trinidad,  The  Asphalt  Lakes  .  533,  534 
Utah,  Weber  Canyon  .         .     597 


Black  and  White  Illustrations 


Victoria  Regia,  The 

Virginia,  The  Natural  Rridge    . 

Wastiingtoti : 

The  Capitol 

Library  of  Congress 
Washington  Memorial,  The 
Washington,  Totem  Pole  in  Seattle    .     593 
White  Mountains    . 
Wisconsin,  The  Leaping  Chasm 
Wrangell,  Totem  Poles,  Fort    . 
Wyoming  : 

Sandstone  Carrings 

P.one  Quarry 


PAGE 

PAOK 

PAOE 

512 

Yellowstone  Park  : 

Yellowstone  Park — continited  : 

567 

Cleopatra  Terrace 

.     493 

Old  Faithful  Geyser      . 

570,  571 

Pulpit  Terrace     . 

.     494 

Punch  Bowl 

.     572 

501 

Jupiter  Terrace    . 

.     495 

Morning  Glory     . 

.    573 

599 

Mammoth  Hot  Springs 

.     496 

The  Grand  Canyon 

.    615 

511 

Liberty  Cap 

.     497 

The  Great  Falls    . 

.     616 

593 

The  Deril's  Kitchen 

.     498 

A  Dendritic  Fossil 

.     617 

598 

The  Devil's  Inkwell 

.     522 

Lone  Star  Geyser 

.     018 

531 

The  Norris  Geyser  Basin 

.     523 

Yoho  Valley,  The  Twin  Falls    . 

.     536 

528 

The  Mammoth  Paint  Pots 

.     524 

Yosemitc  Valley,       582,  583,  584 

,  585,  586 

Great  Fountain  Geyser 

.     524 

Yucatan,  Ktiins  in.       633,  034, 

635,  636, 

610 

Sunrise 

.     568 

687,  638, 

639.    640 

,622 

Orottfl  Geyser 

.     569 

CENTRAL  AND  SOUTH  AMERICA. 


PACK 

670 
603 
664 


Andes,  In  the  Heart  of  the 
Argentina,  The  Inca  liridge 
Arequipa,  Mount  Misti 
Culebra  Cut,  Panama  Canal  642,  643,  644, 

645,  646 
Guzco  650,  651,  652,  653,  654,  655 

Iguazu  Falls    .         .         .       657,  658,  659 


Kio  de  Janeiro  : 
The  Avenue  of  Palms 
The  Harbour 


I'AOK 

Kaielcur  Falls,  llrilish  Guiana  .     673 

Lima,  Receptacles  for  the  Dead         .     656 

Maracaibo,  Indian  Village         .  .     665 

Ollantay-Tampu       .       666,  667,  068,  669       Tandil  Rocking-Stone,  The 

Piedra   Parade,  The         .  .  .660       Tiahuanaco     . 

Pissac,  The  Inca  Fortress  of       .  676,  677       Vcntana,  The 

Poas  Crater,  The     .  .  .         .     641   I 


661,  662 

.  674 

.  675 

678,  679,  680 

.   671, 672 


PAGt 

Aareschlucht,  The  ....  753 
Adelsberg  Caves,  The  .  776,  777,  778,  779 
Alcazar,  Seville  758,  759,  760,  761 

Aletsch  Glacier,  The  .  .781,  782 
Alhambra,  Granada  .  .    685, 686, 

687,  688,  689,  690,  691,  692 
Amiens,  The  Cathedral  of  .  .835 
Athens,  714,  715,  716,  717,  718,  719, 

720,  721,  722,  723,  724,  725 
Axenstrasse,  The  ....  838 
Beauvais  Choir  ....  827 
Blanc,  Mont  .         .         .       823, 824 

Bologna,  The  Leaning  Tower  of  .     780 

Brigsdal  Glacier,  The        .  .  .788 

Bruges,  The  Belfry  ....  878 
Cappella  Pahitina,  The     .  .  .868 

Capri     ....         764,  765,  706 


EUROPE. 

PAr.K 
Carcassonne,  The  Ramparts    .       862,  863 
Carnac  ....       854, 855 

Chaeronea,  The  Lion  of     .         .         .     834 
Cologne  Cathedral  .  .  .         .780 

Constantinople        .         772,  773,  774,  775 

Cordova  Cathedral  (Spain)       .       703,  704 

A  Doorway  in      ...         .      704 

Corinth,  The  Isthmus  of  .  .     712 

Dobsina,  The  Ice  Caverns  .       860,  861 

Drei  Zinnen,  Dolomites    .         .         .     784 
Eleusis  .         .         .         .         .         .883 

Enseigne,  The  Earth  Pyramids  of,  710,  711 
Escurial,  The  .         .         .         .839 

Etna,  Mount   .  .  .       817,  818,  819 

Fingal's  Cavo  .         .         .         .         .     752 

Florence  ....       828,  829 

Fontninoblcau,  The  Rocks  of,  727,  728,  729 


PAQB 

Forth  Bridge,  Scotland,  The     . 

.     853 

Germany,  The  Extinct  Craters  of. 

848,  849 

850, 

851,  852 

Giant's  Causeway,  The     . 

770,  771 

Gibraltar         .... 

.     699 

Girgenti  : 

The  Temple  of  Concord 

.     871, 

Temple  of  Castor  and  Pollux 

.     870 

Grindelwald    .... 

.     884 

Iceland        .         .     873,  874,  875, 

876,  877 

lona,  St.  Martin's  Cross    . 

.     886 

Jungfrau,  The 

830,831 

London  : 

St.  Paul's    .... 

730,  731 

Westminster  Abbey 

858,  859 

Lourdes,  The  Grotto 

.     684 

Lucerne,  The  Gletschergart«n  . 

.     840 

r 


Black  and  White  Illustrations 


EVnOVE—continued. 


Malaga,  The  Gorge  of  the  Guadalhorce,  701 
Malta,  The  Hypogeum       .      693,  694,  695, 
690,  097,  698 
Mallerhorn,  The      .  .  .       708,  769 

Mer  de  Glace  .....  822 
Messina  .  .  .  ■  •     869 

Meteora,  The  Rock  Monasteries  of,  732,  733 

Milan 881,  882 

Monreale,  The  Cloisters  .  .  .867 
Monte  Rosa  ....  879,  880 
Mont  St.  Michel  .  .  '.  .  762 
Moscow  .  .         844,  845,  846,  847 

Mycenee  ....       825,  826 

Naples 755 

Nimes,  The  Amphitheatre  .  836,  837 
Norway,  The  Runic  Stone  767 

Orange,  Tlie  Theatre        .  .  .     783   ! 


PAGE 

Paestum 785 

Palermo,  The  Catacombs  of   the  Cap- 

puccini         .....     866 

Paris,  Notre  Dame  de       .  .       820,  821 

Peterhof,  The  Fountains  .  .  .857 

Pisa        .         .         .     ■     .         .       864,  865 

Pompeii       .     742,  743,  744,  745,  746,  747, 

748,  749,  750,  751 

Pozzuoli,  The  Soltatara    .  .  .     734 

Rome: 

Classical      ....       789-807 

Catholic       ....       708-816  ' 

St.  Gothard  Tunnel  .         .         .         .683 

St.  Petersburg,  The  Winter  Palace    .     856 

Sardinia,  The  Prehistoric  Remains,  681,  082 

Segesta,  The  Temple  of     .  .  .     871 

Segovia,  The  Roman  Aqueduct  .       708,  709 


PAGK 

Selinunte,  The  Ruins  of    .  .         .     872 

Seville  : 

The  Giralda  ....     71.'? 

The    Ruins    of    the  Amphitheatre, 

Italica 700 

Stonehenge 832,833 

Strasburg  Cathedral  .  .  .     885 

Stromboli 887 

Syracuse  .  .  .       841,  842,  843 

Taormina  .....  702 
Tarragona,  The  Cyclopean  Walls  .  787 
Tiryns,  The  Gallery  of  the  Citadel  .  726 
Torghatten,  Norway  .  .  .706,  707 
Ulm  Cathedral  ....  763 
Venice  735,  736,  737,  738,  739,  740,  741 
Versailles  .....  888 
Vesuvius,  Mount    .         .  .754.750,757 


Ctesiphon,  The  Palace  of  Chosroes 
Easter  Island,  The  Colossi  .       8 


t 

APPENDIX. 

I'AUK 

PAGK 

891 

Mecca    . 

• 

.     889 

.895 

Meshed  . 

.     890 

Ishtar,  The  Gate  of 


PAi;i! 
893 


Africa 


449 


CHAPTER   XV. 

By   SIR  HARRY  JOHNSTON,   G.G.M.G. 

Luxor. — It  has  been  already  mentioned  in  tliis  work  that  the  modern  name  "  Luxor  "  is  a 
corruption  of  the  Arabic  words  "  Al-Uksur,"  or  "  the  castles,"  applied  to  it,  of  course,  by  the 
ignorant  Arab  invaders  and  devastators  of  Egypt,  because  the  great  temple  they  saw  there  in  its 
already  ruined  condition  reminded  them  of  the  stone  castles  in  their  own  country. 

This  Temple  of  Luxor  had  no  doubt  fallen  into  some  degree  of  disrepair  and  ruin  when  the 
Arabs  invaded  Egypt  in  the  seventh  century,  for  the  Christians  of  Egypt,  though  they  frequently 
built  their  churches  in  the  middle  of  these  vast  Egyptian  temples,  took  no  pains  whatever  to  repair 
the  ravages  of  time  or  earthquake  shocks  outside  the  actual  structure  of  the  mean  little  chapel  in 
which  they  worshipped. 

There  was  a  temple  standing  at  Luxor  three  thousand  years  ago,  but  the  buildings  whose 
impressive  ruins  are  here  illustrated  were  not  erected  until  the  reign  of  Amenhotep  IIL  (between 
B.C.  1411  and  1375),  during  the  period  which  is  sometimes  described  as  the  zenith  of  Egyptian 
wealth  and  prosperity.  The  portion  of  the  temple  which  survives  to  this  day,  its  south  end  with  the 
colonnaded  forecourt  and  chambers  leading  to  it,  was  dedicated  by  Amenhotep  IIL  to  the  trinity 
of  gods  then  worshipped  in  the  Theban  towns,  namely,  Amon-ra  (the  Sun-god),  Mut  the  goddess, 
and  Khonsu,  the  youthful  god  sometimes  identified  with  the  moon.    Amenhotep  III.  seems  to  have 


Copyright  stereograph  bu}  {.Ji.  V.  White  Co. 

THE    FORECOURT    OF    AMENHOTEP    III 

£xceptins    those    at    the    north   end,    these    columns   are    still   almost    perfect:     but    the    blocUs    which    covered    in    the   space 

between  each  double  row  have  all  disappeared.     The  centre  of  the  court  was  paved  and  open  to  the  sky. 

""30 


450 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


desired  specially  to  erect  this  temple  in  the  heart  of  the  riverside  town  as  in  some  way  a  rival  of 
the  great  Temple  of  Karnak,  which  stood  farther  away  from  the  centre  of  the  Theban  capital.  A 
further  motive  was  that  of  gratifying  the  priesthood  and  people  of  Thebes,  because  Amenhotep 
III.,  though  the  son  of  the  preceding  Pharaoh,  Tehutimes  IV.,  was  not  in  the  eyes  of  the  orthodox 
a  sufficiently  legitimate  King  of  the  two  Egypts,  since  he  had  not  succeeded  to  the  throne  by  being 
the  husband  or  son  of  a  Pharaoh's  daughter,  for  the  succession  according  to  Egyptian  law  always 
went  through  the  eldest  daughter  of  a  Pharaoh,  which  was  why  there  were  so  many  brother-and- 

sister,  or  half-brother  and 
half-sister  marriages.  The 
wife  of  Amenhotep  III. 
was,  on  the  contrary,  a 
foreigner,  probably  Assy- 
rian, and  the  daughter  of 
Yuaa,  a  priest  of  the  god 
Min,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  keeper  of  the  sacred 
cattle  of  Amon-ra,  the  Sun- 
god  of  Thebes.  She  was 
the  celebrated  Queen  Teie, 
or  Thiy.  Amenhotep  had 
married  her  when  he  and 
slie  were  very  young,  and 
he  remained  all  his  life  de- 
votedly attached  to  her  and 
rendered  her  the  utmost 
justice  on  his  monuments, 
as  has  already  been  related 
in  connection  with  the  two- 
Colossi  of  Memnon. 

The  son  of  Amenhotep 
■ — Akhenaton — was  a  great 
religious  reformer  who- 
wished  to  substitute  for  the 
worship  of  the  sun  that 
of  Aton*  (the  Greek  name- 
of  which  god  was  Adonis) ; 
but  his  successors  restored 
the  worship  of  the  trinity 
headed  by  Amon-ra  and  con- 
tinued the  building  of  this 
temple  according  to  the  design  left  behind  by  Amenhotep  III.  The  splendid  building  reached  its- 
climax  of  development  under  Ramses  III.,  with  a  few  small  additions  as  late  as  Ramses  VI.,  and 
the  Pharaohs  of  the  Twenty-first,  Twenty-sixth,  Twenty-ninth  and  Thirtieth  Dynasties  piously 
restored  some  of  its  beauty  and  completeness,  for  at  one  time  it  had  been  much  damaged  by  floods, 
of  the  Nile. 

*  Aton,  seemingly,  was  ihe  Syrian  form  of  the  Egyptian  god  Min,  the  patron  of  generation,  increase,  cropi  and  vegetation. 
His  worship  was  evidently  growing  up  under  the  shadow  of  Amon-ra  from  the  fact  that  the  father  of  Queen  Teie  was  a  priest 
at  Thebes  directing  the  worship  of  Min.     It  may  have  been  due  to  the  influence  of  Queen  Teie,  who  was  known  to  be  devoted, 
to  the  god  Aton  or  Min,  that  the  religious  revolution  occurred  under  her  husband's  successor,  Akhenaton,  who   was  possibly- 
her  son. 


Copyright  stereograph  hy'i  111.  C.  White  Co. 

THE    NORTHERN     ENTRANCE    TO    THE    TEMPLE    OF    LUXOR. 

The  colossal  seated  statues  (one  partiallv  buried)  are  those  of  Ramses  II.,  and 
through  this  entiance  one  passes  to  the  gieat  forecourt  of  the  temple  built  in  the 
reign  of  that  monarch.  On  the  stones  of  the  pylons  in  front  ale  depicted  incidents 
in    the   war   between    the    Egyptians   and    the    Hittites 


Copyj-ight  s((reo(,ra/  /<  1 1.-] 


[//.  C.   W/uh'  Co, 


THE  GREAT  COLONNADE  OF  HOREMHEB  IN  THE  TEMPLE  OF  LUXOR 

This  is  the  most  'imposing  part  of  the  whole  Temple.  Fourteen  columns  in  two  rows  supported  the  roof.  This  sptendid 
colonnade  waa  commenced  by  Amenhotep  III.,  but  was  finished  by  Haremheb,  the  first  Pharaoh  of  ithe  XlXth  Dynasty 
B.C.   1350. 


452 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Phalo  !)i/]  [Thoims  I'imk  <t  Sous. 

A    STATUE    OF    RAMSES    II. 

This    statue    is    the    third    of    five    equally    colossal  figures  of 

Ramses    the    Great,    placed    in    his    forecourt    of    the   Temple    of 

Luxor.     *  The     figure    stepping    out    from     the    dark  '  recess    is 

particularly   impressive. 


In  the  still  standing  forecourt  of  Amenhotep 
III.  the  columns  are  almost  perfect,  except  those 
at  the  north  end.  In  its  perfect  state  this  court 
was  smoothly  paved  and  open  to  the  sky,  but 
the  colonnade  cast  on  it  more  shadow  than  at 
the  present  day  ;  and  on  the  columns,  archi- 
traves and  walls,  the  inscriptions  and  reliefs 
were  highly  coloured. 

At  the  south  end  of  the  forecourt  still  stands 
the  Hypostyle  Hall,  the  roof  of  which  was  once 
supported  by  eight  rows  of  four  columns.  The 
first  vestibule  beyond  the  forecourt  was  used  in 
later  times  as  a  Roman  temple,  the  walls  were 
covered  with  plaster,  and  elaborate  pictures 
of  men  and  horses  were  painted  on  this  surface. 
On  the  west  wall  of  this  Hypostyle  Hall  may 
be  seen  a  number  of  scenes  illustrated  in  relief 
and  giving  a  pictorial  history  of  the  divine 
origin  of  Amenhotep  III.  For  one  of  his  ob- 
jects in  building  this  splendid  temple  was  to  set 
forth  the  myth  of  his  direct  sonship  to  a  god 
in  order  to  atone  to  posterity  for  his  complete 
lack  of  legitimacy.  His  mother,  Queen  Mutemua 
(a  Syrian  princess),  is  shown  as  the  beloved 
of  the  god  Amon-ra,  the  intermediary  an 
bringing  about  an  affection  of  these  two  having 
been  no  less  a  personage  than  the  great  goddess 
Isis.  All  this  nonsense  could  be  apparently 
repeated  reign  after  reign,  and  century  after 
century,  in  Egyptian  monuments  without 
arousing  any  recorded  ridicule,  and  in  other 
shapes  and  forms  it  has  recurred  in  the  history  of 
European  nations  :  for  example,  the  preposterous 
frescoes  of  Rubens  at  the  Louvre  illustrating  the 
life  of  Anne  of  Austria  and  the  birth  of  Louis  Xl  V. 

Ramses  II.  (Ramses  the  Great)  took  I  a 
marked  interest  in  this  temple  at  Luxor.  His 
architect,  who  was  a  high-priest  of  Amon,  has 
left  the  record  that  he  erected  obelisks  "  whose 
beauty  approached  heaven  ;  "  that  he  planted 
gardens  of  trees  in  front  of  the  great  entrances 
and  elevated  flagstaffs  of  considerable  altitude  ; 
and  designed  and  constructed  a  broad  and 
magnificent  avenue  of  sphinxes  which  reached 
from  the  Temple  of  Luxor  to  the  Temple ,  of 
Amon-ra  at  Karnak,  along  which  processions 
of  priests  passed  on  the  occasions  of  grjeat 
festivals.  Moreover,  this  architect  made,  -on 
behalf  of  Ramses,  great  double  doors  of  electrum 


Africa 


453 


(electrum,  which  is  so  often  referred  to  in  the  history  of  these  ancient  Egyptian  monuments,  was 
an  alloy  of  gold  and  silver,  which  was  considered  in  its  pale-yellow  colour  to  resemble  amber,  of 
which  the  Greek  name  was  "  elektron  ")  ;  and  the  walls  of  the  temple  were  inlaid  with  electrum 
and  the  doors  were  studded  with  pure  gold.  Parts  of  the  pavement  (according  to  the  Egyptologist, 
Breasted)  were  covered  with  sheets  of  silver.  But  some  of  the  columns  added  by  Ramses  II.  are 
huge  and  ungainly.  He  had  caused  a  number  of  colossal  statues  of  himself,  seated  and  standing, 
to  be  placed  in  the  temple.  One  of  the  surviving  statues  of  this  monarch  in  a  standing  position 
is,  however,  a  very  fine  piece  of  Egyptian  sculpture,  though  the  legs  are  somewhat  thick. 

This  Temple  of  Luxor  might  quite  possibly  by  now  have  been  laid  in  complete  ruin  by  the  steady 
rise  in  level  of  the  Nile  bed.     We  read  in  history  that  the  temple  was  much  damaged  some  two 


fhoto  hfi 


A    PORTION    OF    THE    WALLS    OF    KANO. 


[tV-  O.  11.  Aiad'.e. 


Kano  is  the  principal  commercial  city  in  Northern  Nigeria,  Its  walls  are  between  thirty  and  fifty  feet  in  height  and  arc 
forty  feet  thick  at  the  base.  They  are  constructed  of  clay,  with  an  inner  framework  of  tree-trunks.  In  front  of  the  walls  lies  a 
deep  double  ditch  or  moat. 

thousand  years  ago,  and  again,  in  later  times,  by  the  floods  of  the  Nile.  The  same  cause  led  in  time 
to  the  complete  ruin  of  Memphis,  much  lower  down.  The  Nile  water  when  long  standing  has  a 
certain  corroding  effect  on  the  bases  of  the  columns  which  causes  them  in  time  to  topple  over.  The 
Romans  arrested  this  decay  by  the  building  of  huge  dykes,  but  these  soon  went  to  pieces  under  the 
ever- to-be-accursed  rule  of  the  Moslem  between  640  and  1882  (though  it  is  only  just  to  say  tliat  the 
much-abused  Khedive  Ismail,  and  even  his  predecessors,  did  not  discourage  Europeans  from 
attempting  to  save  the  monuments  of  Ancient  Egypt).  Since  1884,  and  after  the  British  occupa- 
tion of  Egypt  became  effective,  strenuous  efforts  have  been  made  to  save  Luxor  and  other  riverside 
temples  from  the  effects  of  the  floods.  More  than  that,  to  a  degree  which  few  people  realize  who 
stay  at  home  in  England,  the  British,  aided  by  French  Egyptologists,  have  actually  restored  to 
something  like  their  original  condition  some  of  the  most  superb  buildings  of  the  Pharaohs. 


454 


The   Wonders   of  the   World 


The  Walls  and  Buildings  of  Kano  in  Northern  Nigeria. — Now  we  turn  to  a  very  different 
style  of  African  arcliitecture,  and  yet  one  which  probably  owes  its  inception  and  characteristics 
to  Egyptian  influence  penetrating  the  Sudan  about  two  thousand  years  ago.  I  refer  to  the  great 
clay  buildings  of  Nigeria,  and  in  this  particular  instance  to  the  remarkable  town  of  Kano,  the 
commercial  capital  not  only  of  Hausaland,  but  of  all  British  Northern  Nigeria.  The  district  round 
Kano  was  one  of  the  original  seven  states  of  the  Hausa  Confederacy.  The  Hausa  language,  and, 
to  a  certain  extent,  the  Hausa  people,  seem  to  have  come  into  existence  through  an  ancient  invasion, 

some  say  of  Berbers  from  North 
'  Africa,  but   more    probably   of 

Hamites  from  Nubia.  The 
Libyan  and  the  Hamitic  lan- 
guages spoken  respectively  at 
the  present  day  in  North 
Africa,  the  Sahara,  and  in  the 
coast  region  of  the  Red  Sea, 
Southern  Abyssinia,  etc.,  are 
allied  to  each  other  in  origin, 
and  somewhat  more  distantly 
allied  to  Ancient  Egyptian,  and 
to  the  great  Semitic  family  of 
languages  of  which  Hebrew  and 
Arabic  are  prominent  repre- 
sentatives. All  these  languages 
agree  (amongst  other  features) 
in  the  use  of  the  letter  "  t  " 
with  a  feminine  signification, 
and  the  recognition  of  sex 
(masculine  and  feminine)  in 
nouns,  pronouns,  etc.  But  it 
is  not  yet  decided  by  philo- 
logists whether  the  Hausa 
language  (which  has  a  pre- 
ponderating Negro  basis)  was 
created  by  the  influence  of 
Libyans  from  the  north  or 
Hamites  from  the  east,  li — 
as  seems  more  probable — the 
latter,  then  it  would  coincide 
interestingly  with  the  obvious 
Egyptian  influence  on  the 
architecture  of  Nigeria.  This 
influence  did  not  extend  to  the  use  of  stone,  which  has  never  been  used  as  a  building  material 
by  th2  True  Negro  or  by  the  half- white  Fulas  of  Nigeria  :  it  rather  confined  itself  to  general  design, 
the  shape  of  doorways  and  the  slanting  walls  of  great  buildings.  But  long  afterwards,  from  about 
the  tenth  century  of  the  present  era  onwards,  another  influence  swept  over  the  Central  and  the 
Nigerian  Sudan,  that  of  the  Muhammadanized  Berbers,  or  Libyans,  of  North  Africa,  which  brought 
with  it  the  ideas  of  Saracenic  art  and  architecture,  and  this  last  influence  may  be  seen  in  the  designs 
and  decorations  of  the  doorway  and  interior  of  the  Emir's  Palace  at  Kano,  a  building  which  is  now 
used  as  an  office  by  a  British  official.     The  long  spouts  which  project  from  the  walls  of  some  of  these 


J'hoto  hu}  [Capt.  a,  H.  Abadie, 

THE    GATEWAY    INTO    KANO. 
Thi  walls    here    are    pierced    with    loopKoles  for   musketry.     The    door   within    the 
gateway  that  leads  into  the  town  is  of    hard    ox-hide    and  the  heavy  doorposts  are    of 
wo  3d. 


456 


The   Wonders   of  the  World 


buildings  are  intended  to  carry  off  the  heavy  rainfall.  Egyptian  influence  caused  these  and  similar 
works  to  be  constructed  with  flat  roofs,  though  here  and  there  we  see  a  feeble  attempt  at  introducing 
the  Saracenic  dome.  But  flat  roofs  are  not  very  well  suited  to  a  tropical  African  climate  with  its 
annual  seasons  of  heavy  rainfall,  consequently  these  buildings  are  obliged  to  be  provided  with 
disfiguring  water-spouts. 

The  city  of  Kano  itself  is  built  on  an  open  plain  and  is  surrounded  by  a  wall  which  measures 
eleven  miles  round  the  rough  circle.  The  wall  is  pierced  by  thirteen  gates,  and  is  from  thirty  to 
fifty  feet  high,  and  supplemented  by  deep  double  ditches.  The  gates  are  merely  made  of  leather, 
ox-hides  in  several  thicknesses,  but  they  are  set  in  massive  entrance  towers.  The  total  area  of  the 
walls  is  about  twenty-two  square  miles,  but  only  one-third  of  this  space  is  covered  with   houses. 


Iholu  Oil} 


lUapt,  (r.  //.  Altaaxt, 


A    DISTANT    VIEW    OF    THE     EMIR'S     PALACE    AT    KANO. 


This    was    the    residence  of    the    Fula    GDvernor    of    Kano    before    the    place    was    captured    by    a    British    force    in    1903.     It    is 
built  of  clay  on  a  framework  of  wood,  and  in   the  centre  there  is  an  imperfectly  shaped  dome  covering  a  hall  of  audience. 

the  original  design  of  the  builders  of  Kano  being  to  surround  with  high  defensive  works  a  sufficient 
area  of  ground  to  feed  the  besieged  by  cultivation,  while  this  ground  also  includes  on  its  surface  one 
large  pond,  several  (unsanitary)  lakelets,  and  two  steep  hills. 

The  Audience  Hall  of  the  Emir's  Palace,  already  referred  to,  is  twenty-five  feet  square  and  eighteen 
feet  high,  and  the  designs  on  the  wall  are  painted  in  black,  white,  green  and  golden-yellow.  This 
yellow,  indeed,  ghstens  like  gold,  because  the  pigment  is  mixed  with  micaceous  sand  and  therefore 
looks  like  metal.  The  dome-shaped  roof  is  supported  by  twenty  arches  with  a  slightly  horse-shoe 
outline. 

There  was  a  city  of  Kano  existing,  according  to  authentic  Arab  records,  as  early  as  the  twelfth 
century  of  the  present  era,  but  in  all  probability  the  actual  foundation  of  a  great  native  "market 
round  about  the  hill  of  Dala  goes  back  to  that  period  in  the  history  of  the  Sudan,  about  900  a.d., 
when  a  great  stimulus  had  been  given  to  commerce  by  the  immigration  of  traders  from  across  the 


Africa 


457 


Photo  hy'] 


[Vai,(.  W. 


A  part  of    the   exterior   of    the    women's    quart^-rs    jf    the    Emii's    Palace,   KanD. 
It    is   carefully    ornamented    bv    incised    patterns    on    the    clay    surface. 


Sahara  and  from  Egypt.  But 
the  influence  of  Egypt  on  the 
architecture  (not  so  much  of 
Hausaland  as  of  the  Songhai 
and  Fula  peoples,  originally  of 
Western  Nigeria)  would  date 
back  to  a  still  more  remote 
period  vaguely  placed  at  about 
two  thousand  years  ago, 
when  the  commercial  impulses 
of  Ptolemaic  Egypt,  infused 
latterly  with  Roman  energy, 
carried  some  faint  reflex  of 
the  arts  and  architecture  of 
Egypt  right  across  the  Sudan 
into  the  region  of  the  Upper 
Niger,  where  quite  a  remark- 
able civilization  arose  under 
the  subsequent  growth  of  the 
Mandingo  and  Songhai  power. 
But    this   civilization    did   not 

halt  much  in  what  is  now  Hausaland.     It  took  its  great  development  to  the  west  of  the  Central 

Niger  and  afterwards  came  back  to  Hausaland  through  the  Fula  conquest  of  the  Central  Sudan  at 

the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  modern  province  of  Kano,  together  with  Katagum,  includes  an  area  of  thirty-one  thousand 

square  miles,  inhabited  by  about  two  million  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  of  people.     This 

population  consists  mainly  of  Hausa  negroes,  a  few  Songhais  from  the  central  Niger,  an  aristocracy 

of  Fulas,  Tuaregs  from  the  desert,  who  are  more  or  less  nomadic  and  trade  in  leather  goods, 

horses,     camels     and     sheep  ; 

and    lastly,  Arabs    who    resort 

to     the     Central      Sudan     for 

trade,  but  more  often  to  pick 

up  a  living  as  oculists,  rougii 

surgeons,     and      mallams,     or 

learned  men.     Associated  with 

the  mallam  type    is  the  Fiqih 

(fakir),    or    professional    saint. 

Indeed,  it  is    not  always  easy 

to     determine      among     these 

wandering  Arabs   from  Egypt, 

the  Sudan,  Tripoh,  or  Algeria. 

where    the    saint    begins    and 

the  doctor  of  medicine,  school- 
master,      letter  -  writer       and 

charm-writer   leave    off.      The 

last  profession  unites  them  all, 

perhaps,    in     one     individual ; 

for      Hausaland  —  and      Kano 

city — are    still    so    uneducated 


[Cnp/.  a.  II.  Ahadie. 


t'fiolo  hu] 

The  deCDration  jf  the  walls  of  the  interior  of  the  ^Emir's  Palace,  although  verv 
lude.  aie  inspired  by  the  Saracenic  art  of  the  North,  and  have  a  certain  grandiose 
effect    in    connection    with    the   monstrous   structure    of   c'ay    outside. 


453 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


and  unsophisticated  as  to  attach  an  immense  superstitious  importance  to  the  written  word  and 
to  the  texts  of  tlie  Koran.  Many  a  cure  is  still  sold  in  the  market-place  of  Kano  which 
consists  of  some  sacred  text  written  on  a  piece  of  parchment  and  sewn  in  a  little  leather  bag  to  be 
worn  round  the  neck,  or  even  in  a  few  sentences  scrawled  in  charcoal  on  a  whitened  wooden  board, 
which  are  washed  off  in  water  and  swallowed,  or  applied  as  an  outward  lotion.  But  even  as  these 
lines  are  being  written  the  iron  rail  and  the  puffing  locomotive  are  awakening  Kano  to  new  life  and 
to  new  ideas,  and  perhaps  to  a  prosperity  in  commerce  that  her  past  history  has  never  known.  Nine 
hundred  miles  separate  Kano  from  the  port  of  Lagos  on  the  Gulf  of  Guinea,  and  this  nine  hundred 
miles  have  just  been  traversed  by  a  railway  which  brings  Kano  into  direct  touch  with  the  sea,  and 
will  make  it  possible  to  transport  the  trade  goods  of  Europe  to  the  very  heart  of  the  Sudan 
at  a  rate  half-again  as  cheap  and  infinitely  more  safe  and  certain  than  the  traffic  with  camels 

across  the  Sahara  Desert. 
What  will  Northern 
Nigeria  possess  on  her  part 
to  cause  such  a  railway 
ultimately  to  pay  its  way  ? 
Tin,  perhaps  copper,  a 
little  silver,  hides,  beauti- 
fully-tanned goats'  skins 
and  sheep-skins,  cotton, 
ground  nuts,  and  possibly 
rubber.  Above  all,  there 
will  be  the  energy  and  in- 
dustry of  that  remarkable 
Hausa  people,  which  for 
a  thousand  years  and 
more  has  created  a  trade 
in  the  Central  Sudan  and 
established  a  degree  of 
civilization  at  one  time 
the  wonder  of  Arab 
writers,  and  the  origin  of 
that  legendary  wealth  of 
these  lands  lying  to  the 
south  of  the  Sahara  Desert 
which  first  allured  explorers 
like  Mungo  Park,  Frederick  Hornemann,  Alexander  I^aing,  and  other  pioneers  in  the  service 
of  the  African  Association  to  risk  their  hves  in  order  to  open  up  a  legitimate  commerce  between 
Europe  and  the  Sudan  :  a  trade  which  might  do  away  with  the  traffic  in  slaves.  The  com- 
pletion of  the  railway  from  Lagos  to  Kano  is  the  logical  outcome  of  their  efforts. 

Timgaj,  Eastern  Algeria.. — The  extraordinary  Roman  ruins  of  Timgad — the  Thamugadi 
or  Thamugas  of  the  time  of  its  foundation  in  the  year  loo  a.d.,  in  the  reign  of  Trajan — have  already 
been  referred  to  in  this  record  of  the  world's  wonders.  A  town  was  founded  by  a  Roman  legate, 
Lucius  Munatius  Gallus,  at  the  date  mentioned,  but  it  became  an  uninhabited  city  during  the 
seventh  century,  and  seems  to  have  been  quitted  by  its  more-or-less  Roman  inhabitants  not  at 
first  from  any  attacks  of  Berbers  or  Arabs,  but  because  of  earthquakes  which  shook  down  some 
buildings.  About  this  time — the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century — the  Berbers  had  made 
themselves  independent  of  the  weak  Byzantine  rule,  and  no  doubt  took  every  occasion  of  plundering 
the  city  that  was  offered  by  the  temporary  breaches  in  its  walls,  or  panic  caused  by  the  earthquake 


J'hulo  bti]  [i\tiirdrt:in  f'rtrti. 

THE    ARCH    OF    TRAJAN,    TIMGAD 
The    arch    is    situated    to    the    north-east    of    the    market  of    Timgad    and    stretches    across 
the    Decumanus     Maximus.        Built    of    sandstone    in    the    Coiinthian     style,     it     is    adprned 
with    fluted    columns    of    white    limestone    and    smaller   columns    of    coloured    marble. 


3 


50 
o 

3 


i 
o 
> 


■2 
3 


a. 
t 


146o 


The  Wonders   of   the   World 


Pholo  byl 


n  F/'eres. 


TRIUMPHAL    ARCH,    TIMGAD. 
This   arch    is   situated   at    the    eastern    end    dF    the    Decumanus    Maxitnus. 


shocks.  These  same  earthquake  shocks  may  also  have  upset  the  water  supply  of  the  city  (as  they 
did  elsewhere  in  North  Africa),  although  the  town  received  its  water  from  a  beautiful  spring  not 
more  than  two  miles  away.  It  was  conveyed  to  Timgad  by  stone  conduits,  and  an  elaborate  system 
of  elevation  raised  the  water  to  cisterns  on  the  top  of  a  tower,  now  in  ruins.  From  this  point  the 
water  was  carried  about  the  streets  of  the  city  in  aqueducts,  and  probably  the  earthquake  shocks 
having  laid  the  water  tower  in  ruins,  it  was  this  that  interfered  with  the  city's  water  supply  and 
made  it  uninhabitable. 

The  ruins  of  Timgad  extend  over  an  area  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  A  great  paved 
street,  of  which  an  illustration  is  here  given,  separates  the  town  into  two  unequal  parts.  At  the  end 
of  this  street  may  be  seen  the  Arch  of  Triumph,  which  is  built  of  a  beautiful  bluish  limestone  coming 
from  the  neighbouring  mountains.  Amongst  other  buildings  more  or  less  intact  is  the  Forum, 
containing  a  sort  of  town  hall  and  commercial  Exchange  ;  the  courts  of  justice,  the  tribune  of  public 
orators,  and  the  Temple  of  Victory  ;  and  there  are  also  statues  erected  in  honour  of  emperors  and 
important  local  personages  of  Timgad.  There  are  the  remains  of  a  theatre,  which  could  accommodate 
nearly  four  thousand  spectators,  the  thermae,  or  hot  baths,  and  a  colossal  temple  dedicated  to 
Jupiter  Capitolinus,  besides  many  examples  of  houses,  a  few  of  which  still  retain  their  tiled  roofs. 
Gradually  this  remarkable  town  is  being  revealed  to  our  sight  by  the  patient  and  skilful  labours 
of  French  archaeologists  under  the  direction  of  Monsieur  Albert  Ballu.  In  many  ways  it  is  as 
remarkable  as  Pompeii,  so  far  as  it  gives  a  detailed  picture  of  civilized  Roman  life  during  the^empire. 


Africa 


461 


Timgad,  of  course,  was  for  about  three  hundred  years  a  Christian  city,  and  it  contains  the  remains 
of  at  least  one  church  in  the  Byzantine  style  of  architecture. 

The  Active  Volcanoes  in  Equatorial  Africa. — Some  fifty-one  years  ago,  when  the  great 
explorer  Speke  was  travelling  in  search  of  the  sources  of  the  Nile  and  making  a  considerable  detour 
to  the  west  of  the  Victoria  Nyanza,  he  sighted  on  the  western  horizon  the  cone  of  a  volcano  from 
which  the  smoke  was  issuing.  This  was  the  volcanic  peak  now  identified  as  Muhavuru.  Speke 
put  a  rough  drawing  of  it  into  his  book,  but  very  little  attention  was  paid  to  his  statements  about 
its  being  an  active  volcano,  though  these  were  based  on  stories  collected  from  the  natives,  who 
called  the  district  Umufumbiro  (usually  shortened  to  Mfumbiro,  which  means  a  kitchen  or  cook- 
house). The  explorer  Stanley,  in  1876,  passing  (without  knowing  it)  round  the  south  end  of  Mount 
Ruwenzori  in  his  discovery  of  the  eastern  gulf  of  Lake  Edward,  also  caught  a  glimpse  of  this  volcano. 
But  it  was  not  until  Count  von  Gotzen,  a  great  German  explorer  and  administrator,  travelled  through 
this  region  in  1894  that  the  Mfumbiro,  or  Virunga,*  volcanoes  were  really  revealed  to  the  scientific 
world  and  placed  definitely  on  the  map.  They  have  subsequently  been  explored  by  several  British 
and  German  travellers,  but  it  was  not  until  1907-8  that  this  remarkable  district  was  completely 
and  authoritatively  examined  by  the  scientific  expedition  of  the  Duke  Adolf  Friedrich  of  Mecklenburg. 
These  volcanic  mountains  are  probably  of  recent  origin  and  the  result  of  a  remarkable  local  change 
in  the  earth's  surface  which  threw  up  the  land  so  as  to  block  the  Rift  Valley  that  once  connected 
Lake  Tanganyika  with  the  Albertine  Nile  ;  a  condition  of  affairs  which  Livingstone  felt  instinctively 
must  have  existed  at  some  time  or  another.  At  the  present  day,  however,  the  little  Lake  Kivu, 
situated  in  this  upraised  Rift  Valley,  sends  its  waters  to  Tanganyika,  and  Tanganyika  drains  away 
intermittently — and  almost  reluctantly,   one   might  think — to  the  barbarous  Congo.     The  chain 

*  Virunga  is  the  plural  of  Kirunga,  a  local  name  for  a  smoking  mountain. 


Photo  l/y\ 


{yetirdrein  Freres. 


THE     RUINS    OF    THE    THEATRE.    TIMGAD, 

Besides; the  theatre,   there  are'.here    shown  part  of  the  Forum  and    the    Basilica,  as    well  as    the    semi-circular   auditorium    of    the 

theatre.     Notice  the  excellent  preservation  of  the  auditorium,  which  could  seat  nearly  4.000  persons. 


462 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


of  volcanic  mountains  here  illustrated  consists  of  two  groups  surrounded  by  a  vast  field  of  lava, 
lava  that  is  still  hot  in  some  places.  The  western  group  hes  directly  north  of  Lake,  Kivu,  and 
includes  two  active  volcanoes,  Kirunga-clia-Gongo  (eleven  thousand  one  hundred  and  ninety-four 
feet)  and  Kirunga-Namlagira  (nine  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eleven  feet),  ten  miles  farther 
north.  (In  the  illustration  here  given  of  Namlagira  a  column  of  smoke  is  seen  rising  from  the 
summit.) 

The  surroundings  of  these  eight  (sometimes  reckoned  as  seven)  smoking  volcanoes  are  not  all 
black  lava,  old  and  new,  or  somewhat  commonplace  plantations  of  bananas  and  food  crops.  Where 
the  ground  has  not  recently  been  overflowed  with  volcanic  eruptions  there  is  forest  of  a  magnificence 


Photo  by']  \^Etjon.  i-r.  Kiracfutein, 

CAVES    OF    CONGEALED    LAVA    IN    THE    VOLCANIC    DISTRICT    OF    MFUMBIRO. 

"Mfumbiro"  is  the    name  given  to  the  aistrict  between  Lake  Edward  and  Lake  Kivu.     Tremendous  outpourings  of  lava 

over  the  Rift  Valley  have  cooled  and  formed  crevices  and  caves  which  serve  the  natives  as  dwellings. 

scarcely  paralleled  elsewhere  in  Africa.  On  the  high  lands  above  seven  thousand  feet  in  altitude 
the  forest  consists  of  immense  yews  {Podocarpus),  giant  bamboos,  and  (among  other  trees)  one  of 
the  Sapotaceous  order,  Sideroxylon  adolfi-frederici.  This  is  interesting,  because  it  has  a  near  relation 
in  far-off  Morocco,  the  Argan  tree,  on  the  slopes  of  the  High  Atlas.  Lower  down,  the  forest  becomes 
more  tropical ;  there  are  tree  ferns  and  epiphytic  orchids.  But  up  to  about  nine  thousand  feet, 
in  spite  of  the  cold,  great  anthropoid  apes  range  through  all  the  types  of  forest,  and  particularly  affect 
those  containing  the  trees  I  have  mentioned.  These  apes — a  species  or  sub-species  of  gorilla  and  a 
large  chimpanzi — feed  on  the  tender  young  shoots  of  the  bamboo. 

According  to  Duke  Adolf  Friedrich  of  Mecklenburg  (who  has  written  an  admirable  account  .of 
this  region),  these  apes  live  in  "  parishes,"  or  famiUes,  and  there  is   peace  among  them  (relatively) 


I'hoto  by'l 


ylCyon.  t'r.  Kirschatein. 


THE    VOLCANIC    MOUNTAIN    OF    KIRUNGA-NAMLAGIRA. 


This   mountain    in    German     Equatorial   Africa    is    9.711     feet    high,    and    is    on;    of    the    seven    great    volcanoes    of    the 

Mfumbiro    grouD 


Photo  hyl  \^Egon.  fi\  Kirschstein, 

THE    SMOKING    CRATER    OF    NAMLAGIRA. 
At    night    columns    of    golden     and     blood-red     vapour    and    red-hot    ashes    rising    into    the    air.     light     up    th^    district 

brilliantly    for   a    considerable    distance 


464 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


HHil 

THE    INTERIOR    OF    THE    CRATER    OF     KIRUNGA-CHA-GONGO    (OR    NINA-GONGO). 

This  crater  has  been  named  after  Count  Gbtzen.  the  explorer.  The  flat  surface  of  the  Gotzen  crater  floDr— flat  except 
for  the  twin  holes  which  Nature  has  neatly  carved— is  very  remarkable.  It  is  generally  too  hot  to  walk  upon,  and  may  be 
seen    smokine   in   certain    places. 

provided  each  family  keeps  to  its  own  forest  area  or  parish,  but  war  if  boundaries  are  crossed.  Within 
the  family — here  my  own  observations  are  quoted  from  the  not-far-off  Toro  forest — there  is  compara- 
tive peace.  Yet  getting-up-time  and  going-to-bed-time  seem  to  be  accompanied  by  much  screaming 
and  yelling,  as  though  family  relations  were  not  always  quite  harmonious. 

These  volcanoes  are  quoted  in  some  works  (putting  aside  the  almost  numberless  small  cones  as 
a  separate  computation)  as  seven  in  number.  They  are  really  eight  :  Namlagira  and  Nina-Gongo  on 
the  west ;  Mikeno,  Visoke  and  Karisimbi  in  the  centre  ;  and  Sabinyo,  Mgalunga  and  Muhavuru  in 
the  east. 

The  eastern  group  contains  higher  peaks,  some  of  which  rise  to  acute  and  slender  points.  The 
highest  of  all,  Karisimbi,  has  an  altitude  of  fourteen  thousand  six  hundred  and  eighty-three  feet, 
and  Mikeno,  somewhat  more  to  the  west,  is  fourteen  thousand  three  hundred  and  eighty-five  feet. 
The  most  easterly  of  the  peaks,  Speke's  mountain  of  Muhavuru,  is  thirteen  thousand  five  hundred 
and  sixty-two  feet  in  altitude  and  is  an  isolated  sugar-loaf-shaped  mountain.  The  crater  on  the 
top  is  filled  with  water.  Six  miles  to  the  north-west  of  Muhavuru  is  Sabinyo,  eleven  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  eighty-one  feet  high,  which  was  ascended  and  photographed  in  1900  by  Mr.  J.  E.  S. 
Moore.  The  higher  of  these  mountains  have  snow  on  the  uppermost  parts  of  the  crater  nearly  all 
through  the  year.  It  is  to  the  region  immediately  north  of  these  great  volcanoes — between  them 
and  the  south  end  of  Lake  Edward — that  the  Uganda  name  of  "  cooking-pots  "  (Umufumbiro) 
really  applies,  as  it  is  studded  with  hundreds  of  low  cones  and  the  craters  of  small  extinct 
volcanoes. 


Africa 


465 


An  interesting  picture  is  here  given  of  the  interior  of  the  crater  of  Kirunga-cha-Gongo.  This 
crater  has  been  named  after  the  recently-deceased  Count  von  Gotzen.  The  view  of  the  crater  of 
Kirunga-Namlagira  shows  the  smoke  arising  from  the  boihng  lava.  Much  of  this  region  has  been 
blasted  and  blighted  by  recent  outpourings  of  lava,  vegetation  being  completely  absent  from  some 
stretches  of  the  country.  But  in  the  older  lava  flows  there  are  crevices  which  the  natives  utilize  as 
caves.  These  people  are  of  a  somewhat  wild  Bantu  stock,  with  an  underlying  race  of  Pygmies,  and 
occasionally  aristocratic  looking  chiefs  that  are  of  Northern,  perhaps  Egyptian  or  Gala,  descent. 
In  the  north,  all  alike  speak  one  of  the  purest  and  most  archaic  of  Bantu  languages,  the  Lukonjo  ; 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  volcanic  region  the  principal  tongue  is  Kinyaruanda,  the  language  of  the 
powerful  Ruanda  people.  Tliis  is  more  nearly  related  to  the  speech  of  the  Unyoro  group  of  north- 
western Uganda. 

A  Flash  of  Lightning  at  Bopoto,  Northern  Congo. — Equatorial  Africa  is  subjected — generally 
twice  a  year — to  the  most  terrible  storms  of  lightning,  thunder,  wind  and  rain.  The  worst  of  these 
tornadoes  (as  they  were  named  by  the  Portuguese)  take  place  in  the  period  which  precedes  the  rainy 
season.  The  air  is  full  of 
electricity  then,  after  the  fierce 
heat  lias  dried  the  atmosphere 
and  parched  the  ground. 
These  tornado  storms  rarely, 
if  ever,  occur  in  the  morning : 
it  is  generally  in  the  after- 
noon about  4  p.m.,  or  else 
in  the  middle  of  the  night. 
Of  the  two,  residents  or 
travellers  in  Equatorial  Africa 
would  prefer  to  get  them 
over  in  daylight,  in  case  there 
should  occur  some  small  or 
large  disaster,  which  seems 
always  far  more  terrible  when 
it  takes  place  in  pitcliy  dark- 
ness. 

The  writer  of  these  re- 
marks, who  has  experienced 
these  thunderstorms  on  the 
Upper  Congo,  as  well  as  in 
Uganda,  Liberia  and  East 
Africa,  once  remarked  that  they 
offered  one  several  ways  of 
dying.  Firstly,  there  was  the 
hurricane  wind,  which  might 
blow  down  your  house  or  tent 
and  stun  or  crush  you  in  the 
debris.  Secondly,  came  the 
lightning  flash,  which  is  bound 

to  strike  something,  and  if  it  be         photo  iy]  [«'■'••  "■i""'>"<  for/eui. 

not  the  person  of  the  anxious  A  flash   of  lightning  on  the   northern   congo. 

watcher  it  may  be  the  thatch  or      ,    Y'\''^'"Z^^  "V  ',"''"  °V  ^°'""'  °"  '•''!•  "';"'7"-°;'  „^'"k/ 'ulc'  gZZ 

•'  by    the     Rev.     William     Forfeitt,     who    wa»    an     inlimate    triend     ol     the     late    Oeorge 

poles  of  his  house-roof,  which      Grenfeii. 

31 


466 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


then  and  there'go  up  in  flames.  (Many  are  the  European  buildings — cathedrals,  hospitals,  barracks 
and  schools  which  have  been  recently  destroyed  by  lightning  fires  in  Equatorial  Africa  ! )  If  you 
escape  these  preliminary  dangers,  there  is  the  avalanche  of  rain  which  follows — a  cubic  mile  of  water, 
it  often  seems.  Out  in  this  you  are  like  to  drown,  for  the  atmosphere  is  as  fuh  of  hissing  water  as 
of  air  ;  or  the  downpour  may  wash  away  your  house,  or  penetrate  the  roof  and  swamp  the  interior. 
The  severe  chill  which  follows  may  mean  death  by  fever  or  pneumonia. 

These  horrors  naturally  do  not  occur  often,  or  there  would  be  no  European  exploitation  of 
Tropical  Africa.  But  the  apprehension  of  them  always  spoils  the  present  writer's  enjoyment  of  a 
fine  display  of  lightning  such  as  the  Reverend  William  Forfeitt  has  here  photographed.  Bopoto, 
where  this  snapshot  was  taken  a  few  years  ago,  is  the  Upoto  of  Stanley's  celebrated  journey  down 
the  Congo,  one  of  the  many  places  where  he  believed  he  was  being  attacked  by  cannibals. 
The  boisterous  people  probably  meant    to   have  plundered  the  stranger  from  the  unknown,  but 


Photo  by'] 


[llohei-l  Whitbread. 


THE    TANKS    OF    ADEN    FILLED    WITH    WATER. 


In    the    far   distance    may    be   seen    the    town    of    Aden  ;    but   this    is    not    the    town    ordinarily    visited    by    steamer    tourists. 


wtio    generally    ge 


t    no    farther   than    the    modern    town    at    Steamer    Point. 


would  not  have  made  much  scruple  about  eating  him  and  his  heutenant,  Frank  Pocock,  and 
their  black  Swahili  followers. 

But  for  the  last  twenty  years  the  Baptist  Mission  has  had  a  large  station  at  Bopoto,  and  the 
people  are  many  of  them  Christians,  and  even  educated  craftsmen.  Bopoto  was  frequently  the  head- 
quarters of  the  late  George  Grenfell  when  he  was  engaged  on  those  wonderful  exploring  or 
propagandist  journeys  which  opened  up  (by  accurate  surveys)  so  much  of  the  geography  of 
Congoland. 

The  Tanks  of  Aden  filled  <ruUh  Water.— li  became  the  custom  in  the  near  East  to  attribute  all 
marvels  of  construction,  all  great  achievements  in  architecture  not  possessing  an  obvious  parentage, 
to  Alexander  the  Great,  Joseph  the  Hebrew  patriarch  (once  servant  to  Potiphar),  or  to  King 
Solomon.  These  cisterns  at  Aden  have,  therefore,  been  attributed  in  their  inception  to  Shelomoh 
ben  David,  king  of  the  united  twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  In  reahty,  Solomon  had  nothing  whatever 
to  do  with  their  construction.     They  were  probably  made  first  about  looo  B.C.,  when  Aden  had 


Pholo  by\  INeurdrnn  t'reres. 

INTERIOR    OF    THE    MOSQUE    OF    SIDI-BU-MEDIN.    NEAR    TLEMCEN. 
This   beautiful   mosque,    dating   from    the    thirteenth    century,    is.    with   other    Saracenic    buildings   of   equal   richness   of    decora- 
tion,    situated    about    two    miles    from    the    town    of    Tlemcen.    in    Western     Algeria.       Sidi-bu-M;din    was    a    gieat    saint     in    the 
Muhammadan    world   and    is    buried    in    the   vicinity    of    this   mosque 


468 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


become  a  calling  place  for  Arab  and 
Egyptian  vessels  engaged  in  the  trade 
between  the  Red  Sea  and  Somaliland, 
Southern  Arabia  and  Western  India. 
In  those  days  there  was  probably  a 
more  abundant  rainfall  on  the  high 
mountains  behind  Aden,  and  the  people 
of  Aden  must  have  conceived  the  idea 
of  cutting  basins  in  the  rock  to  receive 
and  store  the  results  of  heavy  showers  in 
the  hill  regions  above  the  scorched  plain. 
Similar  works  on  a  larger  scale  existed 
formerly  at  Marib,  in  the  Yaman. 

Tlie  Aden  tanks  are  in  a  hill  gorge, 
just  above  the  old  Arab  town.  The 
tanks  are  taken  charge  of  by  British 
officials  in  order  that  the  water  may 
be  fairly  apportioned.  Round  about 
these  reservoirs  there  is  dense  and 
beautiful  tropical  vegetation  grateful 
to  the  eye  of  the  traveller  or  the 
resident  weary  with  the  scorched,  lifeless 
red  rocks  or  black  rocks  round  Aden, 
and  to  such  the  trees  and  plants  pro- 
bably appear  more  numerous  and  larger 
than  they  really  are.  Yet  at  the  same 
time  the  lifeless  nature  of  the  land- 
scapes near  Aden  has  been  much  ex- 
aggerated. In  the  hill  gorges  not  far 
from  Steamer  Point — within  an  easy 
walk — there  is  a  vegetation  of  aloes, 
euphorbias,  acacias,  lilies,  and  fleshy- 
limbed  shrubs,  which  "  n'est  pas  i 
dedatgner  "  to  a  botanist ;  and  within 
the  scope  of  a  short  excursion  are  the 
grape  vines,  the  figs,  date-palms,  and 
even  frankincense  trees  (Boswellia)  which  so  attracted  ancient  commerce  to  this  part  of  Arabia 
Felix.  Even  now  from  the  large  Aden  Protectorate  and  Sphere  of  Influence  immense  quantities 
of  incense  are  shipped  to  the  Muhammadan  States  of  India,  who  also  recruit  a  large  proportion  of 
their  guards  and  soldiery  among  the  warlike  Arab  tribes  of  the  Hadhramaut. 

The  Mosque  and  Tomb  of  Sidi-ba-Medin,  near  Tlemcen.—At  one  time  the  city  of  Tlemcen  in 
Western  Algeria  had  a  population  of  over  one  hundred  thousand  souls,  when,  from  the  fourteenth 
to  the  fifteenth  century,  it  was  the  capital  of  the  Abd-al-Wad  Empire.  These  '"  Abd-al-Wad  " 
were  really  Berbers  of  the  Zeneta  branch,  and  their  kings  were  sometimes  called  the  Beni-Zeyan, 
after  the  founder  of  the  dynasty,  Yaghmorassen-bin-Zeyan,  a  hero  of  the  tribe  of  Abd-al-Wad.  This 
worthy  was  chiefly  occupied  in  fighting  in  order  to  establish  peace  and  safety  for  his  people  in  and 
round  about  Tlemcen,  and  he  fought  against  the  Berber  dynasties  of  Tunis,  of  Spain,  and  of  Morocco  ; 
but  his  successors  were  able  to  give  themselves  up  to  a  very  remarkable  encouragement  of  the  arts 
and  industries,  with  the  result  that  Tlemcen  became  another  Granada  or  Tunis.     The  palaces,  with 


photo  ii/]  \_Settrdrein  Freres. 

INTERIOR    OF    THE    KUBA    OR    TOMB    OF    THE    SAINT. 

SIDI-BU-MEDIN,    NEAR    TLEMCEN. 
Through    the    doorway    is    the     small    chamber    of    the    rather     tawdry 
tomb  of   the  saint,  adorned  with  ostrich    eggs    and    gorgeous  silk  draperies. 
To    this    tomb    women    who    have    no    children    come    to     pray    and    drink 
from    the    sacred    well    therein. 


Africa 


469 


their  art  treasures,  the  mosques  and  their  doorways  and  mahrabs,  became  famous,  not  only  through- 
out the  Muhammadan  world,  but  through  the  descriptions  of  Leo  the  African,  a  convert  to 
Christianity,  who  published  in  Italy  a  description  of  Africa  in  the  sixteenth  century. 

I  have  already  described  the  great  mosque  at  Tlemcen,  and  now  wish  to  draw  the  attention  of 
my  readers  to  the  equally  beautiful  mosque  of  Sidi-bu-Medin.     The  exceedingly  picturesque  little 
village  of  Bu-Medin  is  situated  not  far  from  the  railway  station  at  Tlemcen,  and  is  about  two  miles 
from  the  town  of  that  name.      It    is    reached  by  a  road  that  slowly  climbs  the  side  of  a  verdant 
mountain.     Picturesque  villas  of  Moorish  design  are  passed  on  the  way,  surrounded  with  lovely 
gardens  of  orange-trees,  olives,  cherries,  pears,  apples  and  plums.     The  village  itself  is  properly 
called  Al-Abad  (spelt  by  the  French,  "  Eubbad  ").     Through  it  percolates  the  clear  water  of  a  little 
brook  that  never  dries  and  which  nourishes  most  beautiful  verdure  all  the  year  round.     At  the 
time  of  my  visit  all  the  open  spaces  of  ground  were  blue  with  the  beautiful  large  flowers  of  a  dwarf 
iris.     The  mosque  itself  is  really  built  in  connection  with  the  tomb  of  a  great  saint,  Sidi-bu-Medin, 
much   reverenced   throughout   many   Muhammadan   countries.     Apparently   he  flourished  in   the 
fourteenth  century,  and  is  supposed  to 
have  had  a  particular  pity  and  regard 
for  childless  women  :  so  much  so  that 
his  tomb  at  this  village  of  Al-Abad  is 
constantly  resorted  to  by  women  who 
desire  to  have  children,  and  who  make 
their    prayers    to    that    effect    at    the 
tomb   of   the    holy    man,    and    at    the 
same  time  drink  water  from    the  well 
by    the   side   of    the    tomb,    which   is 
supposed  to  have  a  magic  effect.    Being 
women    (despised    of   Islam),  the   poor 
things   are   not    allowed   to    enter   the 
actual  chamber  of  the  catafalque,  but 
they    utter    their    prayers    through    a 
little  hole  in  the  wall.     By  the  side  of  Bu- 
Medin  is  buried  one  of  his  most  fervent 
disciples,  Abd-as-Salam-at-Tunin.     The 
mosque,  which  rises  close  by  the  kuba,  or 
domed  tomb,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
way,  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful existing  developments  of  Saracenic 
art.     It  was  apparently  built  in  the  four- 
teenth century.       A  stairway  of  eleven 
steps  leads  one  to  the  great  doorway. 
The  door  is  made  of  cedar  covered  with 
plates  of  worked  copper.     All  the  other 
appurtenances     of     the    door- — hinges, 
knocker,  rings,  etc. — are  also  of  copper 
and  beautifully  worked.    On  one  side  of 
this   doorway   rises   a   superb    minaret 
covered   with   beautiful  tiles.     Passing 
through  the  doorway  one  enters  a  kind 
of  cloister  which  leads  to  a  court  paved 
with  tiles  and  with  a  fine  marble  basin  for 


[Neurdvein  Fi-ei'es. 
MINBAR    OR     PULPIT    OF    THE     MOSQUE    OF 
SIDI-BU-MEDIN. 
The    minbar    is    nearly     always    placed   close    to   th<r    mahrab   or    shrine 
of    the   faith.         The     mullah    who    officiates   at    the    mosque,    or    any    other 
saintly    man    who    is    invited    to   address     the    conKresation,    does    so    from 
the    top    of    these    steps. 


470 


The  Wonders  of   the  World 


ablutions.  The  interior  of  the  mosque  is  divided  into  eight  aisles  by  a  series  of  arcades,  and  the 
walls  are  covered  with  exquisite  sculptured  stucco.  This  last  is  also  the  feature  of  the  arch  of  the 
mahrab.  The  columns  of  this  arch  are  of  onyx.  It  is  rightly  asserted  by  the  French  architects  who 
have  made  a  particular  study  of  buildings  of  Bu-Medin  at  Agadir,  and  in  Tlemcen  itself,  that  there 
is  scarcely  anything  more  beautiful  to  be  found  in  the  best  remains  of  Moorish  art  in  Spain. 

The  Snoiu  Range  of  RuTvenzori. — 
In  the  very  heart  of  Africa  under  the 
Equator  there  rises  up  nearly  seventeen 
thousand  feet  into  the  air  a  wonderful 
mountain  range,  now  known  by  the 
name  of  Ruwenzori.  This  block  of 
mountains,  about  thirty  miles  long  and 
fifteen  miles  wide,  is  of  archaean  rocks, 
and  its  elevation  is  probably  due  to 
some  twist  of  the  earth's  crust,  and  not 
to  volcanic  causes,  though,  curiously 
enough,  there  are  evidences  of  volcanic 
activity  (in  the  shape  of  extinct  craters, 
filled  with  beautiful  little  lakes,  besides 
the  existence  of  hot  springs)  on  its 
eastern  flanks,  while  at  no  great  distance 
to  the  south — within  sight,  indeed,  of 
the  peaks  of  Ruwenzori — are  the 
snow-crowned  volcanoes  of  Mfumbiro. 
Ruwenzori  separates  the  valley  of  the 
Semliki,  which  is  part  of  the  Rift 
Valley  of  Lake  Albert  Nyanza,  from 
the  regions  draining  into  the  Victoria 
Nyanza.  Its  southern  flanks  are 
bathed  by  Lake  Edward  (formerly 
called  Albert  Edward).  Lake  Dweru, 
which  is  connected  by  a  narrow  gut 
with  Lake  Edward,  extends  to  the 
south-eastern  slopes  of  the  Ruwenzori 
range.  It  would  almost  seem  at  one 
time  as  though  the  Victoria  Nyanza 
had  risen  till  it  was  in  sight  of  Ruwen- 
zori and  then  discharged  its  waters 
into  Lake  Edward  and  the  Albertine 
Rift  Valley,  before  it  pierced  the  hilly 
barrier  on  the  north  and  developed 
its  present  outlet  of  the  Victoria  Nile- 
Thus  Ruwenzori  is  situated  between  the  two  great  fountains  of  the  Nile,  the  Victoria  and  the  Albert 
Nyanzas,  and  corresponds  in  position  remarkably  to  the  legendary  Mountains  of  the  Moon,  which 
were  placed  at  the  head  waters  of  the  Nile  by  classical  geographers.  The  coincidence  between 
these  legends  and  the  actual  facts  of  geography  is  so  great  that  we  are  almost  forced  to  con- 
clude that  the  Greek  and  Roman  geographers  founded  their  descriptions  of  the  twin  lakes  of 
the  Nile  sources  and  the  great  snow-covered  Mountains  of  the  Moon  from  information  reaching 
them  through  Egyptian  or   Arab  travellers  who  may   have    made   their   way   in    ancient    times 


Plioto  by']  ISeurdrein  Frires. 

THE    MAHRAB    OR    SHRINE    OF    THE    MOSQUE    OF 
SIDI-BU-MEDIN.    NEAR    TLEMCEN. 

This  Holy  of  Holies  in  the  mosque  indicates  in  what  direction  the 
Muhammadan  is  to  turn  his  face  to  look  towards  Mecca,  the  sacred 
city.  It  is  a  beautiful  example  of  sculptured  stucco,  ivory-white 
candlesticks    flank   either   side. 


Bii 


472 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


Pholo  byl 


\yillorio  Hella. 


ANOTHER    VIEW    OF    RUWENZORl. 
Ruwenzori    is    no    Kilimanjaro    or    Kenya,  no  single  f^now-mass.       It  is  a  chain  of  heights  liUe  the  Caucasus        The  snow 
peaks  of  this  range  probably  extend  over  a  distance  of  thirty  miles  from  north  to  south." 

through  Galaland  to   Uganda,   and  thus  have  come  to  hear  of,  or  even  to  see,  these  lakes  and 
mountains. 

During  the  Dark  Ages — which,  so  far  as  tlie  development  of  science  is  concerned,  may  be  said  to 
have  begun  about  200  a.d. — this  idea  of  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon  in  Central  Africa  died  away, 
but  was  revived  by  the  Arab  geographers  when  they  began  to  study  such  writers  as  Claudius 
Ptolemseus  and  his  maps.  The  Arabs  adopted  the  title  of  "  Mountains  of  the  Moon  "  (Jahl  al  Kumr), 
and  the  European  geographers  of  the  Renaissance  picked  up  the  idea  from  the  Arabs.  When,  in 
ihe  middle  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  two  Wiirtemberg  missionaries,  Krapf  and  Rebmann, 
discovered  the  snow-crowned  volcanoes  of  Kenya  and  Kihmanjaro,  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon 
were  thought  to  be  located  at  last ;  and  geographers  were  exasperated  to  find  that  they  had  nothing 
to  do  with  the  Nile  flood.  Curiously  enough,  when  Speke  discovered  the  Victoria  Nyanza  and 
Baker  reached  the  shores  of  the  Albert  Nyanza,  neither  explorer  caught  sight  of  Ruwenzori.  This 
is  the  more  extraordinary  in  the  case  of  Speke,  because  he  was  the  first  to  sight  the  snow-crowned 
volcanoes  of  Mfumbiro,  and  must  have  been  at  one  time  sufficiently  near  to  Ruwenzori  to  get  a 
glimpse  of  its  snows.  Baker  wrote  of  the  Blue  Mountains  which  lay  to  the  south  of  the  Albert 
Nyanza,  but  he  may  only  have  meant  the  high  plateau  wall  on  the  south-west  coast  of  that  lake. 
Subsequently,  Gessi  Pasha,  exploring  the  Albert  Nyanza,  heard  native  stories  of  white-crested 
mountains  in  the  sky. 

But  it  was  Stanley — the  late  Sir  Henry  Morton  Stanley — who  discovered  Ruwenzori,  in  1888,* 
*  He  had,  perhaps,  really  discovered   it  in  1876,  when  he  camped ^at  its  "eastern  base,  guessed  iis  altitude  at.  I5,cxx)  feet 
(clouds  hid  the  snows),  and  named  it  Mount  (Jordon  Bennett. 


Africa 


473 


and  an  attempt  to  scale  the  mountain  was  first  made  (in  1889)  by  one  of  his  officers,  Lieutenant 
Stairs.  Stanley's  pictures  of  this  wonderful  mountain  range  attracted  much  attention,  but  several 
years  had  to  elapse  before  his  exploration  work  could  be  followed  up.  The  botanist,  Scott  Elliott, 
was  sent  out  to  Ruwenzori  in  1893,  to  explore  its  flora,  but  was  not  able  to  ascend  the  mountain 
to  a  sufficient  height  to  reach  the  alpine  zone  with  its  peculiar  plants.  Before  that  came  Dr.  Franz 
Stuhlmann,  who  gave  an  excellent  description  of  the  western  side  of  Ruwenzori.  Stuhlmann  was 
followed  by  J.  E.  S.  Moore  (in  1900)  and  by  the  present  writer,  who  was  accompanied  by  a  natural 
history  collector,  Doggett.  Moore  and  Johnston  succeeded  in  cHmbing  Ruwenzori  till  they  were 
well  amongst  the  snow  and  ice  and  able  to  take  photographs  of  the  glaciers  and  to  collect  samples 
of  the  extraordinary  alpine  flora. 

But  the  altitude  of  the  highest  summits  of  Ruwenzori  remained  undetermined.  Stanley's 
original  guess  was  nearest  the  truth,  but  the  appearance  of  the  mountain  is  so  deceptive  that  the 
present  writer  and  several  other  travellers  argued  that  its  extreme  altitude  could  not  be  much 
under  twenty  thousand  feet.  Finally,  there  arrived  on  the  scene,  in  1906,  H.R.H.  The  Duke  of  the 
Abbruzzi,  with  a  splendidly  equipped  expedition,  and  each  one  of  the  six  groups  of  snow-crowned 
peaks  of  Ruwenzori  was  scaled  and  measured,  besides  being  photographed.  We  now  know  that 
the  highest  summit — Mount  Margherita — is  only  sixteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifteen  feet 
high.  A  very  beautiful  moun- 
tain in  this  range  is  Mount 
Edward,  with  its  crater  lake 
not  far  below.  Tlie  strange 
plants  growing  by  the  edge  of 
this  lake  are  a  gigantic  species 
of  groundsel  (Senecio),  closely 
allied  to  the  Senecio  johnstoni 
discovered  by  the  present 
writer  at  similar  altitudes  on 
Mount  Kilimanjaro. 

The  Temple  of  Deader  a.  - 
Dendera  is  situated  on  the 
west  bank  of  the  Nile  in 
the  northern  part  of  Upper 
Egypt  and  close  to  where 
the  Nile  in  its  Koptos  bend 
approaches  nearest  to  the 
Red  Sea.  Dendera,  in  fact, 
is  nearly  opposite  Kena  or 
Keneh.  It  is  one  of  the 
best  preserved  of  the  ancient 
edifices,  and,  being  very  acces- 
sible, is  visited  by  large  num- 
bers of  tourists.  The  modern 
name  is  derived  from  a  late 
Egyptian  word  "  Tantarer " 
(the  Greek  "  Tentura  "),  but 
anciently  it  was  called  "  Ant." 
Dendera  was  traditionally  the 
scene  of  one  of  the  numerous 
fights   between    the    followers 


From  Slermijraph  copyright  hy'i  iUndermod  i:  Underiiood. 

PORTICO    OF    THE    TEMPLE    OF    HATHOR.    DENDERA. 
The    first    temple    at    Dendera  — anciently    called    Ant     was    probably    built    in    pre- 
historic   times    by  the  kings  of   Upper  Egypt;    but  even   parts    of    the    present  building 
are    extremely    old,    dating    back    about    2.500    years. 


474 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


I'holo  hy']  ytonflh. 

BAS-RELIEFS  ON  THE  BACK  OF  THE  TEMPLE  AT  DENDERA. 

Dating    from    the    Ptolemaic    period,    these    wonderful    reliefs    show    the   worship    of    Halhor   by    the    famous    Cleopatra    and   her 

son,    Caesarion,    whose    father   was    the    "dull,    cold-blooded    Caesar." 

of  the  god  Hor  and  the  god  Set,  and  when  the  dynastic  Egyptians  were  well  established 
in  this  part  of  the  Nile  Valley  they  dedicated  their  temple  at  Dendera  to  Hathor,  the  celebrated 
cow-goddess,  "  the  cow  which  issues  from  the  western  hills,"  At  Dendera  she  is  celebrated  as  the 
beneficent  goddess  of  maternal  and  family  love,  of  light  and  of  joy,  her  form  being  that  of  a  woman 
on  whose  head  rises  the  disc  of  the  sun,  fixed  between  a  pair  of  cow's  horns.  But  in  earlier 
representations  she  is  given  the  head  of  a  cow,  and,  later  on,  a  woman's  head  with  a  cow's  ears. 

A  new  temple,  or  a  modification  of  the  old  one,  was  built  at  Dendera  by  Khufu,  the  Pharaoh 
of  the  Fourth  Dynasty,  who  erected  a  great  pyramid  at  Giza,  A  plan  of  the  building  drawn  upon 
ox-hide  is  said  to  have  been  found  by  King  Pepi  of  the  Sixth  Dynasty,  who  rebuilt  the  temple,  which 
had  fallen  into  ruins.  The  temple  was  again  restored  under  the  Eighteenth  Dynasty  by  Tehutimes 
III.,  and  in  its  present  form  is  mainly  the  work  of  the  Tenth  Ptolemy  (Soter  II.),  It  also  contains 
records  of  the  great  Cleopatra  and  of  her  son  Caesarion,  the  last  of  the  Ptolemaic  Pharaohs  and  reputed 
to  be  the  son  of  Caesar.  Additions  were  still  made  to  the  temple  under  the  Roman  Emperors  until 
the  verge  of  the  Christian  period.  Under  the  Romans,  Hathor  was  changed  into  Venus  or 
Aphrodite. 

In  the  centre  of  the  wonderful  bas-reliefs  on  the  outside  of  the  temple  is  the  remains  of  a  large 
head  of  Hathor  crowned  with  the  sun  rising  between  the  cow's  horns.  To  the  right  of  this  deeply 
indented  face  is  a  damaged  portrait  of  the  famous  Cleopatra,  and  beyond  her,  Caesarion,  whose 
father  was  Julius  Caesar.  They  are  shown  worshipping  a  number  of  Egyptian  gods  and  goddesses. 
On  the  left-hand  side  of  the  central  head  of  Hathor,  Cleopatra  appears  again,  and  next  to  her  the 


'.m 


t-luiw  t/yj  IDiltfich. 

BAS-RELIEFS    ON    THE    TEMPLE    AT    DENDERA. 

Showing;  a    Ptolemaic    Pharaoh    being   crowned    by    the    goddesses    NeUheb    and    Wazet,    patronesses     resjectively    of    Upper 

and    Lower    Egypt,    with    the    double    crown    of    these    dominions. 


476 


The  Wonders']  of   the  World 


hawk-headed  god  Horos  Behudet,  or  Hor-sem-Teu  (of  Edfu).  The  columns  of  the  great  Hypostyle 
Hall  of  this  temple  are  noteworthy  objects.  They  are  eighteen  in  number,  and  are  shaped  in  the 
form  of  the  totem  of  Hathor,  which  was  a  pole  surmounted  by  a  cow's  head. 

TTie  Temple  of  Edfu  in  Upper  Egypt. — Edfu  is  situated  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Nile  not  quite 
midway  between  Thebes- Karnak  on  the  north  and  Assouan  far  to  the  south.  It  is  supposed  to  have 
been  the  site  of  a  great  battle  in  remote  prehistoric  times  between  the  followers  of  the  god  Horos 
and  those  of  the  wicked  god  Set.  The  followers  of  Set  seem  to  have  been  a  race  that  occupied  the 
Valley  of  the  Nile  anterior  to  the  dynastic  Egyptians :  they  may  have  been  negroids  or 
early  Libyan  settlers.  But,  hke  so  many  tribes  of  Central  and  South  Africa  at  the  present 
day,  they  had  a  particular  reverence  for  the  crocodile,*  which  in  a  way  had  become  their 
totem  or  the  sacred  symbol  of  their  tribe,  and  gradually  grew  into  a  god  that  was 
identified  with  darkness  and  monstrous  wickedness.  Set  is  identified  with  the  tribe,  or  the 
deity  governing  the  tribe,  which  killed  the  great  man-god  Osiris,  probably  the  deification 
of  some   wonderful  white  man    who   entered    the  land  of  Egypt  with  new  arts  and    industries 

and  who  perished  under  some 
reactionary  attack  of  an  abori- 
ginal race.  The  followers  of 
Horos  were  hawk-worshippers, 
that  is  to  say,  they  adopted  as 
their  totem  or  emblem  some 
bold-eyed  species  of  hawk 
which  could  look  fearlessly 
at  the  sun,  for  Horos-worship 
soon  became  a  part  of  sun- 
worship  and  was  identified 
with  the  "  Sun  on  the  Hori- 
zon." The  followers  of  Set 
were  certainly  the  predeces- 
sors of  those  who  worshipped 
Har,  or  Horos,  and  may  have 
been  living  in  a  condition  of 
Palaeolithic  culture,  using  very 
primitive  stone  implements. 
As  actual  events  grew  into 
legends  and  myths,  the  Egyp- 
tians supposed  that  Horos 
was  the  brother  of  Set,  though 
forced  by  circumstances  to  be 
his  enemy  and  opponent,  and 
at  Edfu  tlie  followers  of  the 
hawk  and  the  crocodile  gave 
battle   in  some    remote    time, 

•  This  cult  extends  far  over 
negro  Africa  and  reappears  on  the 
sculptured  monoliths  of  Rhodesia 
(Zimbabue).  The  common  symbol 
of  Set  was  a  monstrous  animal 
like  an  ass  seated  on  its  haunches 
with  its  tail  erect.  Nevertheless, 
the  creature  regarded  as  most  typical 
of  Set  was  the  crocodile. 


Pholo  by'] 


llHtlrich. 


THE    GIANT    COLUMNS    AT    DENDERA. 


These  mighty  columns  are  shaped  in  the  farm  of  the  tDtem  of  ths  goddess  Hathor, 
{  e,,  a  cow's  horns  or  head  fixed  on  a  pole.  These  columns  aie  painted  in  brilliant 
colours. 


U 

CD  (t 

'      B 
OD 

o  sr 

*  2- 


I  : 


^■4:^^^  ^  -^f^^^  ._^_  ^^%=i ' 


478 


The   Wonders   of  the  World 


perhaps  coincident  with  the  rise  of  the  first  dynasty  ruUng  over  United  Egypt,  some  seven 
thousand  years  ago.  Under  the  Third  Dynasty  a  temple  was  erected  at  Edfu  in  imitation  of 
the  architecture  of  Memphis  and  dedicated  to  the  hawk,  Har  or  Horos.  In  the  course  of  time, 
especially  after  the  expulsion  of  the  Hyksos  and  the  prosperous  days  of  the  Eighteenth  and 
Nineteenth  Dynasties,  the  goddess  Hathor  was  brought  on  solemn  visits  from  Dendera  to  Edfu 
and  became  associated  with  Horos  as  his  consort.  Then,  it  was  theorized,  a  son  must  be  the 
result   of  this  union,    and  so   at   length   in   the    times   of  the  Ptolemies    another  of   the   many 


Photo  by'\  [Fhotochrom  Co.  Ltd. 

THE    ENTRANCE    TO   THE    GREAT    HYPOSTYLE    HALL    OF    THE    TEMPLE    OF    EDFU,    UPPER    EGYPT. 
The   roof    of    this    hall,    allowing    for  an    opening    for   light    in    the    centrs,    is    intact,    and   is    supported    by    eighteen    columns 
of   variously  formed   capitals.     Until    recently    this    temple    was    entir.;ly    buried    in    rubbish,    which    accounts    for    its    good    state 
of   preservation. 

trinities  of  Egypt  was  founded  at  Edfu,  including  Horos,  Hathor,  and  their  son  Hor-sem-Teu,  or 
Hor-sma-Tawi,  =  "  Horos,  Uniter  of  the  Two  Lands." 

Thousands  of  years  ago,  at  the  commencement  of  the  dynastic  period,  when  Upper  and  Lower 
Egypt  were  united  under  one  king  of  the  dynastic  race,  Edfu  was  already  a  wealthy  place  and  with 
a  well-developed  civilization.  It  not  only  possessed  the  germ  of  a  municipality,  but  a  civic  official 
corresponding  to  a  mayor,  and  a  judge  who  is  styled  "  Recorder  "  in  the  English  translatiqns  of  the 
local  inscriptions.  Already  at  this  remote  time  in  the  history  of  Egypt — some  seven  thousand 
years  ago- — gold  was  much  prized,  and  Edfu  for  some  reason  became  a  "  gold  city,"  receiving  and 
storing  gold  from  Nubia.  Consequently  its  tribute  or  tax  to  the  reigning  Pharaoh  was  computed 
in  so  much  weight  of  gold,  as  well  as  in  oxen. 


Africa 


479 


But  about  its  temples  hung  an  evil  renown  of  human  sacrifice  which  lasted  right  down  into 
Roman  times.  For  something  hke  five  thousand  years  victims  representing  the  defeated  god  Set 
were  sacrificed  on  the  altar  of  the  victorious  Hawk-god  Horos. 

The  Premier  Diamond  Mine  of  the  Transvaaf. — Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  dis- 
covery of  diamonds  in  South  Africa  and  to  the  stupendous  works  for  their  extraction  erected 
at  Kimberley  (the  De  Beers 
Mines).  But  pipes  of  blue 
ground  were  gradually  dis- 
covered in  other  parts  of 
South  Africa,  in  the  Orange 
River  Colony  and  in  the 
middle  of  the  Transvaal.  The 
Premier  Mine  is  as  much  as 
three  hundred  miles  to  the 
east  of  the  Kimberley  dia- 
mond mines.  It  was  dis- 
covered in  1902  and  occupies 
an  area  of  about  seventy-five 
acres.  It  is  considered  to  be 
the  largest  of  all  the  pipes 
of  blue  ground  liitherto  dis- 
covered, though  only  a  few 
of  its  pipes  have  been  found 
to  be  rich  in  diamonds,  many 
being  quite  barren  or  with 
rock  so  hard  that  it  is  too 
expensive  to  work.  Never- 
theless, the  Premier  Mine  pro- 
duced the  record  diamond 
of  the  world,  which  is  now 
inserted  into  the  Imperial 
Crown  of  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland.  This  "  CuUinan 
Diamond,"  when  first  dis- 
covered, weighed  three  thou- 
sand and  twenty-five  carats 
(equivalent  to  one  pound  five 
and  a  third  ounces).  In  1908 
it  was  cut  up  into  nine  large 
stones  and  a  number  of  small 
brilliants,  all  flawless  and  of 
the  finest  quality. 

The  blue  ground  of  which  such  frequent  mention  is  made  in  connection  with  South  African 
diamonds,  is  generally  supposed  to  be  a  volcano  breccia  "  much  serpentinized."  In  appearance  it 
is  a  hard,  bluish-green,  serpentine  rock,  which  is  found  at  a  certain  distance  below  the  surface. 
Above  the  blue  ground  is  a  layer  of  yellowish  clay  about  fifty  feet  thick,  and  above  that  again  a 
calcareous  deposit,  and  on  the  surface  red  clay.  The  yellow  clay  is  thought  merely  to  be  decomposed 
blue  ground. 

The  mines  are  really  huge,  vertical  funnels  or  craters  of  this  bluish-green  rock  descending  to  an 


Photo  by  pettnission  of  the  *'  African  World  "]  \hy  Leo  Weinthal. 

A    VIEW    IN    THE    PREMIER    DIAMOND    MINE    OF   THE    TRANSVAAL. 

This  mine  is  situated  near  the  Orange  River  in  the  Southern  Transvaal,  about 
300  miles  E.N.E.  of  Kimberley.  It  has  only  been  worked  since  1902,  but  in  the 
early  days  of  its  operations  it  produced  the  biggest  diamond  ever  recorded  in  the 
world's  history — the  Cullinan,  which  is  now  set  in  the  ciown  of  King  George  V. 


48o 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


unknown  depth,  and  are  believed  to  be  eruptive  rock  forced  up  through  the  strata  by  volcanic 
action  ;  and  it  may  be  that  this  action,  accompanied  by  tremendous  heat,  has  fused  morsels  of 
carbon  imprisoned  in  the  blue  ground  and  turned  them  into  diamonds. 

Wine-cellars  of  Ramses  II.,  near  the  Ramesseum,  Thebes. — These  vaulted  buildings  of  brick 
have  only  recently  been  excavated  with  any  completeness  by  Professor  Flinders  Petrie.  At  one 
time,  when  little  was  known  about  them,  they  were  believed  to  be  granaries,  and  in  the  unenlightened 
days  of  Egyptian  exploration  whoever  said  "  granary "  at  once  suggested  memories  of  that 
legendary  person  Joseph,  who  in  all  probability  never  entered  Upper  Egypt  in  his  life,  but,  if  he  had 
an  actual  existence,  was  the  steward  of  a  Hyksos  chief  in  the  Deltaic  region  of  the  Lower  Nile. 
These  brick  buildings  date  from  the  reign  of  Ramses  II.     A  portion  of  them  certainly  was  used  for 


Photo  bii'i  t  William  Cutlack,  F.R.il.S. 

THE    WINE    CELLARS    OF    RAMSES    11.    AT    THE    RAMESSEUM,    THEBES. 
These    strange    brick    buildings    were    described    at    one    time    as    Joseph's    Granary.     Though    now    usually    called    the    wine- 
cellars  of   Ramses,  they  were  probably  used  as  schools  for  the  temple-priests  as  well  as  for  storage  purposes. 


the  storage  of  provisions  and  wine.  Professor  Petrie  found  in  these  vaults  many  of  the  wine  jars 
entire  with  their  corks  undrawn,  still  sealed  with  the  king's  seal,  and  the  name  and  date  of  the 
vintage  rudely  inscribed  on  the  outside,  but  they  were  absolutely  empty  of  wine.  Whether  the 
fluid  had  gradually  evaporated  in  the  course  of  the  three  thousand  three  hundred  years,  or  whether 
it  had  been  cunningly  withdrawn  and  the  seal  replaced — or  more  probably  the  offerings  had  been 
frauds  to  begin  with,  and  empty  jars  had  been  solemnly  sealed  and  stored — is  a  matter  of  guess-work. 
But  these  vaulted  buildings  must  have  subserved  more  important  purposes  than  mere  cellarage. 
They  formed  places  of  residence  for  the  priests  and  slaves  attached  to  the  temple — the  Ramesseum 
■ — and  there  was  probably  a  school  here  or  a  seminary  for  the  priests.  The  earth  and  rubbish  which 
have  been  withdrawn  from  these  ruins  since  1895  have  been  gradually  formed  into  an  embankment 
passing  round  the  whole  area. 


J 

^ 

Q. 

s^ 

-.     0 

1 

J*. 

2   cc 

•"1 

E  <u 

Sa 

*-  13 

ntn  0) 

c   ^ 

.-    u 

£>.£ 

>  2  si 

d-  s 

O    o   M 

>  -^ 

< 

ail 

o 

£  c  -a 

■M    o    c 

o  c 

OS 

£,<!  s 

<: 

ii"    Q 

if 

a 

-  =  = 

> 

X 

M  5  ^ 

a  '     . 

o 

HI 

Q 
< 

a: 
O 

Co  2 

ill 

o 

u  K  3 

o 

O  01  I. 
"2   =    M 

X 

i  E.E 
==8  i: 

H 

2  s  " 

2|-o 

ti. 

O 

C     I.    *? 

^    o    aj 

V.  ***  "i; 

z 

o 

c  c5  r^ 

> 

5  if  £: 

z 

^  .h  > 

< 

3  5   > 

111 

Q 

Z 

< 

a 

gat; 

o 

w 

c  — 

'Z^  s 

^  >■ 


c  .i 


NORTH     AMERICA. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 
By    GEOROE     WHARTON    JAMES. 

The  Grand  Canyon  of  Arizona.- — Of  all  the  wonders  of  North  America  it  will  scarcely  be 
questioned  that  the  most  wonderful  of  them  all  is  The  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado  (Red)  River, 
located  in  Arizona,  one  of  the  Western  States.  It  will  be  noticed  that  it  is  called  "  the  "  Grand 
Canyon.  The  name  has  been  appropriated  to  other  and  lesser  gorges,  but  it  should  be  distinctly 
understood  that  there  is  but 
one  Grand  Canyon,  and  that 
is  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the 
Colorado  River  in  Arizona. 
To  most  readers  the  first  idea 
of  a  canyon  that  will  arise 
in  their  minds  is  of  two 
steep  walls,  not  far  apart,  be- 
tween which  sinks  a  profound 
abyss.  This  is  the  popular 
conception  of  a  canyon.  But 
it  does  not  serve  to  describe 
the  Grand  Canyon  of  Ari- 
zona. This  is  in  reality  a 
series  of  canyons,  each  one 
wider  than  the  one  just  below 
it,  growing  wider  and  wider 
until  at  the  summit,  in  its 
narrowest  part,  it  is  twelve 
miles  wide. 

Imagine  the  two  banks  of 
a  river — the  Thames,  for  in- 
stance, at  the  Embankment — 
being  twelve  miles  apart,  and 
the  top  of  the  Embankment 
from  six  to  eight  thousand  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  river. 
This  is  the  Grand  Canyon.  The 
Colorado  River  flows  through 
a  great  V-shaped  trough  in 
a  crystalline  mica  schistose 
rock,  commonly  and  locally 
called  granite.  The  river  is 
about  two  hundred  to  three 
hundred  feet  wide ;  the  granite 


Photo  ly  permission  of]  [L.  Meinei-nhagen. 

GRAND    CANYON    OF    THE    COLORADO    RIVER. 
Flowing    at    the     base    of     these    gigantic    cliffs,     the     Colorado     River     traces     the 
course    of    a    mighty    primeval     river    which    chiselled    out    a    road    through    the    lime- 
stone  mountains   with    the    force    of    a    Titan. 


32 


482 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


from  fifty  to  one  thousand  feet  in  height.  Interposed  upon  the  granite  is  a  series  of  stratified  rocks 
— the  earUest  so  far  discovered — known  as  the  Algonkian.  These  originally  were  ten  to  twelve 
thousand  feet  thick.  They  are  now  only  about  five  hundred,  and  are  tilted  to  such  an  angle  as  to 
show  great  unconformity  to  the  strata  above.  These  latter  strata  follow  in  regular  sequence,  varying 
in  thickness  from  a  score  of  feet  to  a  thousand,  each  stratum,  however,  irregularly  receding  from 
the  centre  of  the  canyon,  and  thus  making  it  wider  at  each  uplift.     In  several  instances  the  recession 

of  the  cliffs  is  so  great  as  to  have 
left  a  wide  plateau,  and  these 
plateaux  add  an  effective  charm 
to  the  stupendous  scenery,  and 
afford  visitors  considerable  oppor- 
tunity for  sight-seeing  that  other- 
wise would  be  lost.  The  upper- 
most stratum  now  found  at  the 
Canyon  is  the  cherty  limestone  of 
the  Upper  Carboniferous  period. 

Stand  upon  the  "rim"  with 
me  and  let  me  attempt  to  describe 
what  can  be  seen.  Here  one  never 
speaks  of  the  "  edge "  of  the 
canyon.  We  are  on  the  south 
"  rim."  Just  behind  us  is  the 
magnificent  hotel.  El  Tovar,  built 
at  the  expense  of  a  quarter  of  a 
million  dollars.  Before  us,  sinking 
at  our  very  feet,  is  the  vast  abyss. 
No  river  is  in  sight.  It  is  com- 
pletely lost  in  the  rocky  depths. 
We  are  partially  hidden  in  the 
curve  of  an  amphitheatre,  the  two 
arms  a  mile  or  two  apart,  and 
each  jutting  out  for  half  a  mile  or 
more  into  the  canyon,  and  forming 
two  striking  scenic  points.  The 
one  to  the  west  is  called  Maricopa 
Point,  and  the  one  to  the  east.  El 
Tovar  Point.  Let  the  eye  follow 
down  the  layers  of  rock  of  either 
of  thesd  points.  On  the  top  the 
creams-brown  strata  of  the  lime- 
stone are  about  six  hundred  feet 
thick ;  just  below  are  another  six 
hundred  feet  of  a  beautiful  brpwnish  sugar}^  sandstone.  Then  there  comes  a  sloping  talus,  upon 
which  ragged  junipers  grow,  leading  the  eye  down  to  a  rich  chocolate  sandstone  some  three  or 
four  hundred  feet  thick.  Below  this  is  more  talus,  and  then  a  stupendous  wall  nearly  a  thousand 
feet  high,  locally  called  the  red-wall  hmestone.  In  reality  it  is  a  beautiful  cream  colour,  but  the 
red  oxides  from  the  strata  above,  washed  down  by  the  rains  of  many  centuries,  have  stained 
the  limestone  so  that  it  is  likewise  red. 

At  about  the  foot  of  this  steep  wall  a  plateau  extends,  two  or  more  miles  towards  the  heart  of 


Photo  '.!/] 


HANCE'S    TRAIL.    CANYON    OF    THE 


IT/te  riiolochrom  Co.  Ltd. 
COLORADO. 


A  topical    scene    of    the    Canyon.     When    the    sun    lights    up    {hesfc    turrets 
peaks,  the    eye    can    scarcely    bear   the   tiaze    of    gorgeoUBy  ^lendaur. 


^'^^^m 


View    of    the    Canyon    from    Hance's    Cove. 


Ayer's    PeaU,    towering    3,500    feet    above    the    Plateau. 


From  Stereo  copyrights  hy] 
Faults   in    the   Serpentine   caused   by    volcanic   disturbances 
of    the    stiatd. 

THE  GRAND  CANYON.  COLORADO 


[77.  C.  White  Co. 

Cliff  at   Bissell's    Point,    looking    down  on   the  most   wonder- 
ful   watercourse   in    the   world. 


484 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


the  canyon,  and  then  seems  to  drop  into  the  deepest  recesses,  known  as  the  "  Inner  Gorge,"  through 
which  the  river  sullenly  roars  on  its  way  from  the  mountains  to  the  sea. 

But  while  I  have  thus  calmly  described  the  rocks  the  eye  has  seen  far  more  than  my  words  have 
conveyed.  The  sun  has  lit  up  the  vari-coloured  rocks  until  they  have  blazed  in  a  gorgeous  splendour 
unknown  to  the  ordinary  mind,  and  associated  only  with  dreams  of  the  Arabian  Nights.  To  the 
opposite  wall  in  a  straight  line  it  is  ten  miles,  and  the  space  below  us,  though  an  abyss,  is  thronged 
with  a  vast  multitude  of  objects  so  vast  in  size,  so  bold  and  majestic  in  form,  so  infinite  in  details 
and  so  striking  in  colour  that,  as  the  truth  of  them  enters  the  mind,  it  is  aroused  to  the  keenest 
emotion.  The  chief  over-ruling  feature  is  the  colossal  wall  on  the  opposite  side,  and  yet  the  word 
"  colossal "  must  be  stretched  to  make  it  convey  a  sense  of  four  thousand,  five  thousand,  or  even 
more  thousand  feet  in  height.  How  insignificant  the  Colossi  of  the  ancients  beside  this  marvellous 
work  of  the  ages  !     Ordinary  words  mean  nothing  in  its  presence.     One  needs  a  new  coinage. 

How  came  this  stupendous  canyon  into  existence  ?  The  commonly  accepted  theory  is  that  the  ten 
to  twelve  thousand  feet  of  Algonkian  strata  were  deposited  soon  after  life  appeared  upon  the  Earth, 
and  then  an  epoch  of  degradation  occurred  when  these  strata  were  cut  down  to  their  present 
thickness  of  five  hundred  feet.  Then  in  some  great  cataclysmic  disturbance,  the  strata  were  twisted, 
tilted  and  curved  out  of  all  semblance  to  their  original  form.  Sheets  of  lava  overflowed  some 
portions  and  then  the  whole  mass  slowly  sank  into  the  deep  bed  of  the  primeval  sea.  As  the  sinking 
continued  during  long  ages  of  pre-historic  time  the  later  strata  were  deposited  until  not  only  the 
vast  sheets  of  the  Upper  Carboniferous  we  now  find  on  the  rim  were  there,  but  several  thousand 
feet  of  later  strata  of  the  Permian,  Jura-Trias  and  Eocene  periods  were  superposed. 


Photo  by'] 

GRAND    CANYON.    COLORADO. 

There    is    no    view    in    the    v\rorld    so    be'wildering    as    that    of    the    Grand     Canyon 
buttes    arise    everywhere    in    masnihcent     confusion: 
mountain. 


IThe  Photochrom  Co.  Ltd, 


Pinnacles     and     towers    and    gigantic 
each    one     dwarfing    his     neighbour    Into     insignificance,    yet    each    one    a 


North  America 


485 


Now  there  began  a  reversal  of  the 
process.  Uphft  commenced,  and  it 
was  at  this  time  the  Colorado  River 
was  born.  Its  waters  condensing 
upon  the  first  peaks  that  emerged 
from  the  vast  sea,  it  made  its  own 
irregular  channel.  As  the  uplift  con- 
tinued, the  channel  it  had  made 
persisted  and  cut  deeper  and  deeper. 
Earthquakes,  titanic  struggles  of  the 
elements,  shatterings  of  lightnings 
and  thunderbolts  all  did  their 
deadliest  work,  but  the  river  re- 
mained— its  course  slightly  changed 
now  and  again  by  some  unexpected 
split  in  the  slowly-ascending  mountain 
masses.  Millions  of  tons  of  shattered 
rock,  sand,  silt  and  other  debris  were 
swept  into  the  river's  channel  by  the 
tremendous  storms  that  at  times 
flooded  the  face  of  the  country,  and 
this  only  served,  by  its  rasping  power, 
to  help  the  river  cut  its  pathway 
down  deeper.  The  Eocene  strata 
were  carried  away,  and  so  were  those 
of  the  Trias,  Jurassic  and  Permian 
periods,  save  for  fragments  found 
north  and  south  of  the  canyon,  miles 
away.  Sometimes  the  uphft  ceased 
for  a  longer  or  shorter  period,  and  it 
was  at  such  times  as  this  that  the 
river  attacked  the  bases  of  the  chffs 
in  the  gorge  it  had  already  carved, 
and  thus  widened  out  the  canyon 
and  constructed  the  plateaux  we  now 
find.  At  last  the  work  was  con- 
cluded, and  when  man  came  upon  the  earth  he  found  this  canyon  ready  for  his  exploration — 
at  once  his  despair,  his  delight,  his  allurement  and  his  wonder. 

As  far  as  is  known  the  first  white  man  to  gaze  upon  the  Grand  Canyon  was  Cardenas,  one  of 
the  lieutenants  of  Francisco  de  Coronado,  that  favoured  son  of  fortune  who  came  from  Spain, 
expecting  to  emulate  Cortes  and  Pizarro  in  the  gaining  of  fame  and  untold  wealth  in  the  new  land. 
But  in  the  New  World  his  fortune  changed,  and  he  gained  nothing  but  knowledge  (which  he  did 
not  value)  and  disgrace,  which  sent  him  to  his  grave  a  broken-hearted  man.  It  was  in  1540  that 
he  started  from  New  Spain,  with  as  gallant  and  gay  a  band  of  Conquistadores  as  the  land  had  ever 
seen,  to  go  in  search  and  conquest  of  the  far-famed  "  Seven  Cities  of  Cibola  "  that  Marcos  de  Niza 
had  reconnoitred,  and  where  wealth  and  fortune  were  supposed  to  abide.  He  ultimately  reached 
the  seven  cities  of  Zuni,  and  discovered  the  peerless  cliff-city  of  Acoma,  and  sent  his  lieutenants, 
Cardenas  to  the  discovery  of  the  great  river  and  canyon  to  the  north  (the  Grand  Canyon  of  the 
Colorado  River),  and  Tovar  to  the  discovery  of  the  villages  of  the  Hopituh  Shinumo  (the  People  of 


From  Stereograph  copyHght  &y]  [//.  C.  VHiite  Co 

POMPEY'S    PILLAR.    THE    GRAND    CANYON. 
Pompey's     Pillar    stands    out    on    a    snnall    spur    of    rock    on    the    "South 
Rim."      It    is     evidence    of    the     great    forces    that    have    gone    to    the  making 
of    the    mighty    gorge,    and    remains    a    weather-beaten     giant    who    has    out- 
lived   the    passing    of    aeons. 


486 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Peace),  whose  wonderful  cliff-homes  and  religious  ceremony,  the  Snake  Dance,  I  shall  presently 
describe. 

Cardenas  and  his  men  reached  the  "  rim  "  of  the  canyon,  "  which  seemed  to  be  more  than  three 
or  four  leagues  above  the  stream,"  and  he  pathetically  describes  the  attempts  of  some  of  his  men  to 
reach  the  river.  They  climbed  down  the  cliffs  with  incredible  daring  and  spent  three  or  four  days, 
only  to  find  themselves  apparently  as  far  from  the  river  as  before. 

Little  or  nothing  was  really  known  of  the  canyon,  however,  until  1869,  when  Major  J.  W.  Powell, 
who  was  just  about  to  be  appointed  to  the  high  position  of  Director  of  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey  (which  he  completely  organized),  determined  to  run  its  complete  course  from  Green  River, 
Wyoming,  to  its  mouth  at  the  Gulf  of  Cahfornia.      It  should  first  be  explained  that  the    Grand 

Canyon  is  but  a  small  portion  of  the 
whole  canyon  system  of  the  great  Colorado 
River  and  its  tributaries.  The  name 
"  Grand,"  however,  is  given  only  to  that 
most  stupendous  part  of  the  system  found 
in  Arizona,  where  the  gorge  is  deepest, 
widest  and  most  sublime.  This  portion  is 
but  two  hundred  and  seventeen  miles  long, 
and  begins  at  the  end  of  Marble  Canyon  (at 
the  junction  of  the  Little  Colorado  River), 
and  terminates  in  the  desert  at  the  Grand 
Wash. 

With  specially  constructed  boats  Powell 
and  his  brave  band  of  explorers,  on  the 
i6th  of  May,  1869,  left  Green  River 
City.  For  three  months  they  braved 
the  unknown  dangers  of  rapids,  cata- 
racts, whirlpools,  eddies  and  jagged  and 
cruel  rocks.  For  days  and  nights  at  a 
time  they  were  wet  through  and  shivering 
with  cold.  Occasionally  their  progress 
was  so  slow  that  they  made  only  a  mile 
or  two  a  day- — having  to  carry  all  their 
supphes  over  the  rocks,  make  a  portage, 
— and  again  they  went  with  such  fearful 
rapidity  that  eight  or  ten  miles  would 
be  made  in  an  hour.  Several  times  their 
boats  were  overturned  and  their  lives  jeopardized  by  the  dashing  waves,  andj  three  times  their 
boats  were  smashed,  finally  one  of  them  being  so  dashed  upon  the  rocks  as  to  float  away 
in  splinters  and  matchwood.  Their  provisions  almost  gave  out,  and  the  few  they  had  were  mouldy 
and  rotten  with  constant  soaking,  which  no  care  or  forethought  seemed  to  be  able  to  prevent. 
Three  of  the  party  determined  to  go  no  further  (when  they  had  almost  accomplished  the  dangerous 
part  of  the  journey),  and  they  were  permitted  to  climb  out  and  seek  to  return  to  civiHzation. 
Poor  fellows  !  they  were  the  only  ones  to  lose  their  lives,  for  they  came  to  the  camp  of  some  Indians 
in  Southern  Utah  whose  squaws  had  been  badly  treated  by  some  evil  miners,  and  they  were  taken 
for  the  "  white  brutes  "  and  slain. 

Later,  Major  Powell  made  another  expedition  and  the  records  of  his  trips  read  more  thrillingly 
than  the  wildest  romance. 

Now,  the  Santa  Fe  trans-continental  railway  from  Chicago,  Illinois,  to  Los  Angeles  and  San 


stereograph  copyright  by] 

THOR'S    HAMMER.    THE 

Pompey's    Pillar    and    this    rock,  which    has    been    given    its   name 

on     account    of    its    liUeness    to    the    weapon    of    the    Thunderer,    are 

two     of    the     most     striking     examples     of     erosion 

Canyon    affords. 


[//.  V.  While  Co. 
GRAND    CANYON. 


that     the     Grand 


^'"-"^  ^y]  [[/nderwood  <t-  Underwood. 

THE  GRAND  CANYON.  COLORADO. 

Terrace    upon    terrace,    curved    out    of    the     brilliantly-coloured    strata    of    the    Canyon,    tower   one    above    the    other   to    so    great 
a    height    that    the    river    is    lost    in    the    precipitous    depths    of    the    lowest    gorge. 


488 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


I^hoto  by}  ITfie  Fhotochrom  Co.  Ltd. 

A    VIEW    OF    NEW    YORK    FROM    JERSEY. 

A    remarUable    view    of    the   city    of    sky-scrapers.       It    is    the    immense    value    of    land    in    New  York    City    that    has    called   the 

sky-scraper    into    being,    and    great    is    the    economy    of    space    effected    by    these    gigantic  structures. 

Francisco,  California,  passes  within  sixty-three  miles  of  the  south  rim.  At  Williams,  Arizona,  a 
branch  line  starts  and  conveys  passengers  to  El  Tovar  Hotel,  which  is  situated  on  the  very  brink. 
Thousands  of  visitors,  therefore,  are  now  annually  enjoying  the  sight  of  this  incomparable  "  Waterway 
of  the  Gods,"  which  is  one  of  the  greatest  things  the  eye  of  man  has  ever  gazed  upon. 

The  Sky-Scrapers  of  NeTV  York  City, — Over  thirty  years  ago,  when  a  Cunard  steamer  first  bore 
me  into  the  harbour  of  New  York,  the  tallest  building  that  arrested  my  attention  was  one  upon 
which  the  great  advertising  soap-maker,  B.  T.  Babbitt,  had  placed  his  name,  and  within  the  walls  of 
which  his  famous  soap  was  being  made.  To-day  that  building  is  so  dwarfed  that  one  can  scarce 
find  it  in  the  perfect  forest  of  elevated  buildings  which  tower  heavenward,  as  if  the  modern  man 
were  certain  that  he  could  accomplish  that  in  which  the  builders  of  the  Tower  of  Babel  failed. 

To  many  people,  who  are  not  famiUar  with  the  existing  conditions,  sky-scrapers  are  an  archi- 
tectural blot,  a  disgrace,  a  confessed  retrogression.  To  thus  argue  is  to  reveal  oneself  ignorant  of 
the  fundamental  principle  upon  which  all  architecture  is  based,  viz.,  that  of  meeting  the  actual 
necessities  of  mankind.  Utility  is  the  first  essential  of  beauty,  and  the  latter  without  the  former 
is  false,  is  pseudo-beauty,  which  cannot  stand  the  test  of  critical  examination  and  analysis. 

The  sky-scrapers  of  New  York  directly  meet  this  fundamental  necessity.  They  demand 
recognition  as  beautiful  structures  because  they  first  of  all  meet,  with  marvellous  adequacy,  the 
pressing  needs  of  mankind.  Whatever  we  may  say  of  the  wisdom  or  error  of  men  herding  in  cities 
to  transact  the  business  of  the  world,  none  can  question  that  it  is  the  only  way,  as  far  as  we  are  now 
able  to  see,  that  it  can  be  done.  As  the  populations  of  cities  increase  the  superficial  areas  of  the 
cities  correspondingly  increase,  until  distances  become  destructive  to  the  speedy  transaction  of  those 
elements  of  business  that  require  personal  attention.  Hence  some  method  was  necessary  by  means 
of  which  vast  business  interests  might  be  attended  to  in  exceedingly  circumscribed  areas.  The 
development  to  its  present  perfection  of  the  elevator  (American  for  lift),  and  the  sky-scraper  have 
made  this  possible. 

One  of  the  earliest  of  the  sky-scrapers  was  the  Owings  building  in  Chicago.  Here  was  thoroughly 
tested  the  steel-frame  structure.  For  in  this  steel  frame  was  the  solution  of  the  whole  problem. 
These  buildings  are,  in  the  main,  nothing  but  shells  of  brick,  stone,  marble,  porcelain  or  terra-cotta 


North  America 


489 


facing,  placed  over  a  skeleton  frame  of  structural  steel-work,  of  exactly  the  same  kind  of  construction 
that  we  see  in  the  great  steel  railway  and  traffic  bridges  across  ravines  and  rivers. 

New  York  was  not  long  in  noting  this  new  architectural  departure,  and  one  by  one,  with  startling 
rapidity,  sky-scrapers  began  to  spring  into  existence,  until  now,  the  traveller  crossing  the  Hudson 
River  from  Jersey  City  and  approaching  New  York  for  the  first  time,  is  amazed  at  the  white  forest 
of  peerless  structures  that  indicates  the  business  portion  of  America's  commercial  metropolis.  Before 
October  i,  1909,  there  were  fifty-one  of  these  towering  buildings  actually  erected  and  occupied,  the 
lowest '  number  of  stories  being  Wanamaker's  Store,  on  Broadway,  at  Eighth  and  Ninth  Streets, 
fourteen  stories,  though  its  height,  two  hundred  and  seventeen  feet  six  inches,  is  higher  than  the 
Ansonia  Hotel,  on  Broadway,  at 
Seventy-Third  and  Seventy-Fourth 
Streets,  with  its  sixteen  stories  and 
one  hundred  and  eighty  feet. 

From  October  i,  1909,  to  De- 
cember I,  1910,  plans  were  filed 
with  the  City  Building  Commission 
for  sixteen  more  of  these  majestic 
structures,  ranging  from  fourteen 
stories  to  forty-two,  and  from  one 
hundred  and  sixty-five  feet  high  to 
six  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet. 
These  buildings  are  all  under  con- 
struction, and  many  of  them  ere 
this  time  (April,  191 1)  are  being 
actually  occupied,  such  are  the 
rapid  modern  methods. 

The  Flaiiron  Building. — One  of 
the  most  unique  of  all  the  New- 
York  sky-scrapers  is  the  so-called 
Flatiron  Building,  which  stands 
at  the  south-west  corner  of  Madi- 
son Square  Garden,  at  the  inter- 
section of  Fifth  Avenue,  Broadway, 
and  Twenty-Third  Street.  Fifth 
Avenue  and  Broadway  are  not 
parallel  streets,  though  they  run 
north  and  south,  and,  crossing  each 
other  at  this  point,  they  make  a 
narrow  X.  The  northern  half  of 
this  X,  which,  of  course,  is  a  V,  is 
unoccupied,  and  is  converted  into 
an  open  space,  thus  connecting  and 
widening  both  Broadway  and  Fifth 
Avenue  for  the  short  distance  it 
covers.  But  the  southern  half  of  the 
X,  the  inverted  V,  belonged  to  an 
owner  who  determined  to  erect  there- 
upon a  tall  office  building,  which 
should  be  its  own  best  advertisement 


from  tilereoj/raph  mpniight  by'i  [UnderuKiod  <t  l/nderwood. 

"THE    FLATIRON"    BUILDING.    NEW    YORK. 

This  structure  is  exceedingly  popular  in  New  York,  both  as  a  remarkable 
building  and  as  a  convenient  centre  for  offices.  Originally  named  after  tKe 
owner,    it    was    popularity    that    dubbed 


'  The    Flatiron 


490 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


V 


by  its  peculiar  shape.  This  is  the  real  origin  of  the  Flatiron  Building.  Grotesque  though  it  is, 
it  is  one  of  the  most  successful  and  sought-for  office  buildings  of  this  section  of  the  City.  The  "  nose  " 
of  the  structure  is  but  a  few  feet  wide,  and  even  at  Twentieth  Street,  where  it  occupies  all  there  is 
of  its  complete  block,  it  is  only  wide  enough  to  allow  of  eight  windows  of  ordinary  size.     It  is  twenty 

stories  in  height  and  from  pavement  to  cornice 
is  two  hundred  and  eighty-six  feet  high.  Its 
grotesqueness  and  its  isolation  seem  to  emphasize 
its  towering  height,  for  it  looks  down  in  insolent 
superiority  upon  fine  buildings,  which,  when  first 
erected  and  long  after,  were  deemed  arcliitectural 
triumphs. 

When  its  owner,  Fuller,  first  named  it,  he  called 
it  after  his  own  name,  but  the  pubhc  would  have 
none  of  his  name — the  building  was  the  "  Flatiron,'' 
so  wisely  yielding  to  the  popular  clamour,  the  Flatiron 
is  now  its  official  designation. 

The  Singer  Manufacturing  Company's  Building. — 
When  this  stupendous  structure  was  first  projected, 
its  architect  was  denounced  as  visionary,  and  there 
was  a  general  call  upon  the  City  Council  to  limit  the 
height  of  such  buildings  and  refuse  the  Singer 
Company  and  its  contractors  a  permit.  But  after 
full  discussion  the  architect  showed  the  practicability 
of  his  ideas,  and  he  was  allowed  to  go  ahead  and 
demonstrate  them.  The  main  building  is  a  striking 
structure,  even  though  it  stood  alone,  but  rising  above 
it,  like  a  new  style  of  delicate  and  artistic  minaret,  is 
the  tower,  twenty-five  more  stories  in  height,  and 
giving  the  whole  building  a  total  of  forty-one  stories  and 
six  hundred  and  twelve  feet  one  inch  in  elevation  above 
the  side-walk.  In  the  tower  alone  there  are  over  one 
thousand  different  offices,  and  there  are  as  many  more 
in  the  main  building.  It  is  hard  to  contemplate  what 
a  vast  hive  of  industry  a  building  must  be  that  contains 
two  thousand  offices,  each  one  the  radiating  centre  of 
business  that  perhaps  encircles  the  globe,  or  reaches  to 
the  heart  of  the  darkest  corner  of  darkest  Africa. 

The  view  from  the  summit  of  the  tower  is  as 
near  to  that  of  a  balloon  or  an  aeroplane  as  most 
ordinary  mortals  so  far  have  attained.  The 
wliole  of  Greater  New  York,  with  its  boroughs  of 
Manhattan,  Brooklyn,  Queen's,  the  Bronx  and 
Richmond,  is  spread  out  hke  a  map  at  one's  feet. 
The  cars  and  elevated  trains  seem  like  the  toys  of  children,  and  the  men  and  women  walking  about 
like  the  microscopic  creatures  of  an  anthill.  The  river,  with  its  spider-web-Hke  bridges — the  great 
Brooklyn  Bridge,  the  newer  and  later  bridges  of  Manhattan,  Williamsburg  and  Queensboro^ — and 
its  arms,  encircling  the  humming  hives  of  industry,  lead  the  eye  away  to  the  far-away  ocean,  or  the 
near-by  Jersey  Heights  and  the  Palisades.  Beyond  stretch  the  Jersey  marshes  and  the  cities  of 
Newark,  Paterson,  the  Oranges,  etc. 


Photo  hy^  li/ittifritood  (t  Underwood. 

THE    SINGER    MANUFACTURING    CO.'S 
BUILDING. 

This  gigantic  building  was  denounced  first  of 
all  by  the  City  authorities  as  "  visionary, *'  but  the 
architect  was  able  to  demonstrate  its  practicability, 
and  it  has  become  one  of  the  boasts  of  New  York. 


Photo  hy]  [/ii/ron. 

THE    METROPOLITAN    LIFE    BUILDING    AT    NIGHT. 

This  is  the  most  magnificent  buildin?  of  New  York  and  is  the  highest  in  the  world.  The  tower,  of  white  marble 
■with  a  silded  dome,  reaches  a  height  of  700  feet  3  inches.  The  terminal  consists  of  an  eight-sided  lantern,  from  which 
a- powerful    flashlight    gleams    throughout    the    night. 


,0^^^^^ 


«sfi2S|^^.-,,-   ' 


photo  ly'\  [11'-  /'■  "I"- 

THE    METROPOLITAN    LIFE    BUILDING.    NEW  YORK. 
The   immense   size    of    the   buildine   and    the   stupendous    tower,    encased    as   it    is    in    white    marble,    make  this   sky-scraper 
a   conspicuous    feature   of    New   York.       It    is   only    through    the   employment    of    a    steel    framework    that    the   erection    of    such 
a   structure    is   made    possible 


North  America 


493 


In  a  windstorm  the  sway  of  the  tower  is  distinctly  to  be  felt  and  seen,  though  I  am  not  sure 
whether  any  measurements  have  been  taken  to  determine  the  actual  sway  during  certain  wind 
velocities.  All  this,  however,  has  been  perfectly  provided  for  in  the  steel  skeleton  of  the  structure, 
and  in  the  joints  of  the  sheathing,  and  as  yet  everything  has  worked  out  as  successfully  as  the 
architect  planned  and  prophesied. 

Metropolitan  Life  Building, — But  by  far  the  king  of  all  the  tremendous  and  colossarstructures 
of  New  York  is  the  Metropolitan 
Life  Building,  situated  not  far 
from  the  Flatiron  Building  on  the 
eastern  flank  of  Madison  Square 
and  on  Twenty-Third  Street. 
The  main  building  occupies  the 
entire  block  bounded  by  Madison 
and  Fourth  Avenues  and  Twenty- 
Third  and  Twenty-Fourth  Streets. 
It  contains  eleven  stories  and 
is  one  hundred  and  sixty-four 
feet  high;  the  tower,  containing 
fifty  stories  above  the  sidewalk 
level,  reaches  an  altitude  of 
seven  hundred  feet  three  inches. 
Each  avenue  front  is  two  hundred 
feet  and  each  street  front  four 
hundred  and  twenty-five  feet 
long,  and  the  building  has  a  girth 
of  one  thousand  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet,  and  a  total  super- 
ficies of  three  hundred  and  forty- 
five  thousand  square  feet.  The 
entire  exterior  is  faced  with  pure 
white  Tockahoe  marble,  requiring 
for  that  purpose  about  half  a 
million  cubic  feet. 

The  dimensions  of  the  tower 
are  seventy-five  feet  on  Madison 
Avenue  and  eighty-five  feet  on 
Twenty-Fourth  Street.  In  its 
general  design  and  outUne  it  is 
affiliated  to  the  famous  Campanile 
of  St.  Mark  at  Venice,  which  has 
been  taken  as  a  prototype.  It  has 
been  harmonized,   however,   with 

the  main  building.  The  main  shaft  extends  from  the  sidewalk  to  the  twenty-ninth  and  thirtieth 
stories,  where  boldly  projecting,  double-bracketed  galleries,  with  deep  arched  loggias  of  the  Ionic 
order,  with  a  broad  frieze  cornice  and  balustrade,  mark  the  crowning  adornments.  Below  this,  at 
the  twenty-fifth,  twenty-sixth  and  twenty-seventh  stories,  great  clock  dials  twenty-six  and  a  half 
feet  in  diameter  are  inserted  on  the  face  of  the  main  shaft  at  all  four  sides,  each  one  framed  in 
elaborate  and  clever  carving. 

The  loggia  section  extends  through  the  thirty-first  to  the  thirty-fifth  stories.     Over  its  balustrade, 


Photo  hyl  [//.  C.  White  Co. 

CLEOPATRA  TERRACE.  YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 

These  famous  sinter  slopes  are  the  result  o(  the  mineral  deposits  of  hot 
springs.  The  formations  of  Cleopatra  Terrace  are  the  most  recent,  and  are 
considered    the   most   beautiful  of  the  terraces  in  Yellowstone   Park. 


494 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


four  hundred  and  fifty-four  feet  from  the  side-walk,  the  walls  of  the  tower  are  set  back,  and  continue 
thus  for  four  stories,  forming  a  massive  phnth  or  base  to  the  pyramidal  spire  which  supports  an 
octagonal  turret,  whose  gilded  dome  contains  the  forty-eighth  and  forty-ninth  stories. 
"'    The  exterior  marble-work  ceases  with  the  windows  of  the  forty-eighth  story,  from  which  level 
up  the  tower  is  cased  with  gilded  copper. 

The  highest  look-out  is  reached  at  the  balcony  of  the  fiftieth  story,  six  hundred  and  sixty  feet 
above  the  side-walk  level,  whence  one  of  the  most  wonderful  views  in  the  world  may  be  obtained. 
Here  are  visible  the  homes  of  over  one-sixteenth  of  the  entire  population  of  the  United  States.  The 
terminal  feature  consists  of  a  great  electric  eight-sided  lantern,  eight  feet  in  diameter,  from  which 
powerful  flashhghts  mark  the  hours  of  the  night. 

In  this  tower  there  has  been  no  striking  departure  from  precedent  other  than  in  size.     Its  ratio 

of  height  to  width   is    as 
f/'^ST-jp  h'^Kf^ifF  one  to  eight  and  a  quarter, 

nearly  the  same  as  its 
prototype  at  Venice,  and 
about  the  proportion  of 
a  sturdy  Doric  column. 
The  monument  at  Wash- 
ington has  a  ratio  of  one 
to  eleven  ;  the  Campanile 
at  Florence,  as  it  stands, 
one  to  six  and  a  half,  or 
had  the  pyramidal  termi- 
nation originally  designed 
been  built,  one  to  seven 
and  a  half ;  the  Tower  at 
Cremona,  one  to  nine  and 
a  half;  the  Campanile  at 
Pistoia,  one  to  nine ;  the 
Belfry  at  Bruges,  one 
to  nine ;  Madison  Square 
Tower,  one  to  nine,  and 
its  prototype  at  Seville, 
one  to  six.  Comparing 
the  relation  of  height  to 
environment,  the  Victoria  Tower,  London,  is  four  and  one-fourth  times  as  high  as  the  Houses 
of  Parhament ;  St.  Mark's  Tower  was  five  and  a  half  times  as  high  as  the  adjoining  Liberia,  five 
times  as  high  as  the  Doges'  Palace  and  the  buildings  surrounding  the  Piazza,  and  twelve  times  as 
high  as  Sansovino's  Loggetta  that  nestled  at  its  base  ;  the  lantern  of  the  Capitol  at  Washington 
is  three  and  one-half  times  the  height  of  the  main  building. 

The  Metropolitan  Life  tower  is  four  times  the  height  of  the  main  building.  It  contrasts  favour- 
ably, therefore,  with  the  examples  cited,  in  its  ratio  of  bulk  to  height,  and  fits  well  in  its  own  pecuhar 
environment. 

The  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  Yetlomstone  National  ParL— The  Yellowstone  is  the  largest 
of  the  National,  or  State,  parks  of  the  United  States,  comprising  three  thousand  three  hundred 
and  twelve  square  miles,  not  including  the  forest  reserve  which  adjoins  it.  It  is  a  veritable  wonder- 
land and  stands  unique  in  its  fascination.  It  was  first  seen  by  a  white  man  in  1807,  but  little 
was  known  of  its  marvels  until  1870,  when  the  Surveyor-General  of  the  new  state  of  Montana, 
H.  D.  Washburn,  with  a  party  of  citizens  and  a  small  escort  of  United  States  cavalrymen,  under 


From  Slereo  eopynghl  byl  [//.  C.  White  Co. 

PULPIT    TERRACE,    YELLOWSTONE     PARK. 
The    beautifully    sculptured    masses    of   these    terraces    are    shaded    from    pale    cream    to    rich 

chocolate   colourings. 


496 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Photo  by'] 


[Thf  Pholochi-om  Co.  ltd. 


THE    MAMMOTH    HOT    SPRINGS.    SUMMIT    POOLS. 


The    visitor   gazes    down    upon    acres    of    water,    divided,    subdivided    and    re-subdivided    into    basins    of    every    size    and   sfiape 

and   of    the    most    brilliant    hues. 

Lieutenant  Doane,  made  an  extended  tour  of  the  region.  Lieutenant  Doane  made  a  report  to  his 
superiors  which  is  a  classic.  The  result  of  this  exploration  was  that  it  was  duly  set  apart  by  Congress 
as  a  National  Park  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  people  for  ever. 

It  is  a  land  of  geysers,  hot-springs,  waterfalls,  obsidian  cliffs,  coloured  terraces,  mountains  of 
petrifactions,  hills  of  brimstone,  forests,  streams  and  a  canyon  as  picturesquely  vivid  in  colour  as 
the  Grand  Canyon  of  Arizona  is  overpowering  in  majesty.  It  embraces  in  its  limits  snow-clad 
mountains  which  tower  into  the  pure  blue  of  this  ineffable  sky  from  ten  to  fourteen  thousand  feet 
above  the  sea.  It  has  one  valley  with  an  elevation  of  not  less  than  six  thousand  feet,  and  contains 
a  hundred  geysers,  over  three  thousand  six  hundred  springs  and  pools,  besides  mud-springs,  or 
paint-pots,  as  they  are  commonly  called. 

While  fascinating  to  the  mind,  the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  are  the  least  interesting  of  all  the 
varied  scenes  and  phenomena  the  Yellowstone  Park  presents.  Hot  water  is  hot  water,  whether  in 
a  bath-tub  or  in  the  Yellowstone  Park.  The  only  difference  between  the  one  and  the  other  is  that 
in  the  latter  region  the  hot  water  is  highly  impregnated  with  calcareous  matter,  mainly  carbonate 
of  lime  and  hydrate  of  silica.  When  this  hot  water  bubbles  out  from  the  interior  of  the  earth  in 
the  form  of  springs,  some  of  it  evaporates  and  thus  speedily  deposits  on  the  surface  a  sediment 
of  the  calcareous  and  other  matter  it  holds  in  solution.  The  result  is  the  building  up  of  pools,  walls, 
embankments,  terraces,  etc.,  of  most  wonderful  form,  structure  and  adornment.  The  major 
portion  of  these  are  found  on  Terrace  Mountain,  which  is  in  full  view  of  the  Hot  Springs  Hotel, 


North   America 


497 


near  which  is  the  administrative  centre  of  the  Park.  Being  a  National  Park,  it  is  under  federal 
control,  and  its  affairs  are  administered  by  officers  of  the  United  States  Army.  Here  is  a  green 
plaza,  flanked  on  the  east  by  the  officers'  quarters  and  the  barracks  of  the  soldiers.  On  the 
opposite  side  rises  Terrace  Mountain  with  its  richly-coloured,  steaming,  marvellously  sculptured, 
carved,  traced  and  embroidered  terraces.  To  the  north  is  the  hotel.  The  chief  terraces  are  Jupiter, 
Pulpit  and  Cleopatra.  The  latter  is  the  latest  of  the  formations  and  consequently  is  one  of  the 
highest,  for  the  evidences  are  clear  that  these  terraces  have  been  slowly  built  up  from  the  level  of 
the  Gardiner  River.  Doubtless  the  hot  springs  made  their  first  outlet  there,  and  as  the  hot  waters 
slowly  trickled  out  of  their  basin  they  deposited  the  mineral  which  little  by  little  heightened  the 
basin's  edge  until  the  water  had  to  find  another  course.  Thus  another  elevation  was  erected,  and 
then  another  and  another,  the  spring  moving  its  outflow  to  overcome  the  obstacles  of  its  own  creation. 
To  many  visitors  Cleopatra  Terrace  is  the  most  beautiful  of  all,  but  that  may  possibly  be  because 
of  its  newness.  Pulpit  Terrace,  as  its  name  implies,  is  shaped  somewhat  like  one  of  the  old- 
fashioned  pulpits.  Its  colours 
are  of  delicate  cream  and 
a  rich  chocolate.  Jupiter  is 
the  one  oftenest  visited  and 
described. 

Some  of  these  terraces,  as 
I  have  before  stated,  are  bril- 
liantly coloured.  When  first 
discovered,  this  was  assumed 
to  be  the  result  of  decomposed 
mineral  substances  held  in 
solution  by  the  water,  but 
scientific  investigation  has  re- 
vealed that  it  is  caused  by 
the  presence  of  minute  or 
microscopic  plants,  known  as 
blue-green  algae,  which  can  exist 
in  water  at  a  temperature  of 
185°  Fahr.  These  are  red,  pink, 
black,  canary,  green,  saffron, 
blue,  chocolate,  orange,  violet 
and  yellow,  with  infinite  grada- 
tions of  hue  and  shade.  To 
those  who  know,  each  of  these 
colours  denotes  a  certain  tem- 
perature, the  range  of  colour  cor- 
responding to  the  range  of  heat. 

One  may  climb  the  slopes 
and  view  the  pools  of  vari- 
coloured waters,  and  examine 
closely  the  fine  work  of  Nature's 
accomplishing,  and  the  higher 
one  gets  the  more  interesting, 
in  some  regards,  does  the  en- 
larged view  become.  And  here 
one  discovers  another  fact ;  that 


\  ^- Htm  ■ 

'J/.  I'.   While  Cn. 


LIBERTY    CAP.    YELLOWSTONE    PARK. 


This  enormous  sinter  husk  of  an  extinct  gevser  derives  its  name  from  its 
likeness  to  the  headgear  of  the  American  soldiery  of  1774.  The  diminutive 
appearance   of   the   spectator  demonstrates   the   vast   size   of    the   "Cap." 

33 


498 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


is,  that  there  are  often  several  different  colours  in  the  same  pool.  This  suggests  different 
temperatures,  caused  either  by  springs  of  varying  heat,  or  else  it  is  that  the  water  from  the  same 
spring  suffers  quick  and  marked  clianges  according  to  the  varying  distances  from  the  outlet. 

That  these  pools  and  terraces  are  akin  to  the  geysers  (which  we  shall  later  visit),  is  proved  by  the 
fact  that  not  far  from  Jupiter  Terrace  is  Liberty  Cap,  a  standing  monument-hke  shaft,  shaped  some- 
what like  the  old-fashioned  liberty-cap  of  the  American  revolutionists  of  1774,  and  which  was 
unquestionably  at  one  time  the  shaft  of  a  geyser.  The  Giant's  Thumb,  near  by,  is  a  similar  but 
smaller  object. 

In  some  cases  there  are  vacant  spaces  or  caves  under  the  terraces  and  several  of_^these  can  be 

seen  or  entered.  There  are 
Cupid's  Cave  and  the  Devil's 
Kitchen,  into  the  latter  of 
which  a  ladder  is  placed  for 
those  who  wish  personal  inter- 
view with  his  Satanic  Majesty's 
cook. 

The  wonder  of  the  traveller 
is  excited  by  this  introduction 
to  the  Yellowstone  Park,  which 
is  thest  orehouse  of  many 
further  wonders  that  are  yet 
to  be  revealed. 

The  Cliff  DivelUngs  of 
Mancos  Canyjorif  Colorado. — In 
the  south-western  corner  of 
the  State  of  Colorado,  some 
twenty-five  years  ago,  two 
cowboys,  one  of  whom  I  knew 
well,  Richard  Wetherill,  were 
riding  over  the  Mesa  Verde, 
hunting  for  stock  which  had 
eluded  them.  The  whole 
region  was  a  somewhat  ele- 
vated plateau  (as  the  term 
mesa  implies),  cut  up  and 
seamed  by  numerous  ravines 
and  canyons  which  made  it 
almost  inaccessible,  as  many 
of  these  gorges  descended  in  abrupt  precipices,  down  which  there  seemed  to  be  no  available 
means  of  descent ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  if  one  were  in  the  canyons  below  and  wished 
to  gain  the  summit  of  the  mesa,  there  was  no  means  of  ascent.  The  whole  mesa  was 
covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  pine,  cedar,  juniper  and  spruce,  through  which  it  was  impossible 
to  see  far  ahead,  and  suddenly  the  two  cowboys  were  startled  to  find  themselves  on  the  very  edge 
of  a  precipice.  Impatiently  reining  in  their  horses,  and  angry  at  finding  their  search  for  the 
stray  cattle  again  arrested  by  a  useless  canyon,  they  began  to  look  for  signs  which  might  indicate 
in  which  way  their  animals  had  gone.  While  they  were  doing  this  the  eyes  of  one  them  happened 
to  fall  upon  the  underside  of  the  cliff  on  the  opposite  wall  of  the  canyon,  and  there,  to  his  wonder 
and  amaze,  he  saw  the  ruins  of  a  number  of  walls  and  towers,  with  windows,  doorways,  etc.,  clearly 
denoting  that  they  were  once  the  habitations  of  man.      This  was  the  discovery  of  one  of  the  most 


From  stereo  copyright  by'] 

THE    DEVIL'S    KITCHEN. 


[//.  C.  White  Co. 

YELLOWSTONE    PARK. 

Occasionally  the  mineral  deposit  of  the  hot  springs  has  settled  in  such  a  way 
as  to  form  caves  and  spaces  underneath  the  terraces.  Some  of  these  caves,  of 
which  the  Devil's  Kitchen  is  chief,  can  be  entered  and  examined  by  the  ad- 
venturous. 


500 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


important  groups  of  cliff 
dwellings  yet  found  with- 
in the  boundaries  of  the 
United  States. 

At  the  very  outset,  let 
me  disabuse  the  minds  of 
my  readers  of  the  notion, 
made  too  common  by 
sensational  and  excitable 
writers,  that  these  cliff 
dwellings  are  of  re- 
markable 'size,  wonderful 
architecture,  or  imposing 
grandeur.  They  are  simply 
rude,  crude,  aboriginal 
dwellings,  full  of  a  pathetic 
interest,  and,  therefore,  de- 
serving the  most  thorough 
and  careful  attention  of 
the  thoughtful  reader  and 
student.  Their  extent  is 
remarkable,  many  of  them 
being  capable  of  housing 
from  five  hundred  to  a 
thousand  souls :  but  it  is 
the  "deliberate  choice  of 
such  inaccessible  sites  that  marks  them  with  such  tremendous  pathos.  Why  choose  homes  in  the 
face  of  cliffs  that  only  birds  can  ascend  ?  Why  hide  in  this  fashion  from  all  ease,  comfort,  beauty 
and  outlook  ?     What  motive  could  there  possibly  be  for  such  hiding  and  such  inaccessibility  ? 

Before  giving  a  brief  description  of  the  cliff  dwellings  here  pictured,  let  me  state  that  it  is  now 
definitely  known  that  the  cliff-dwellers  were  the  ancestors  of  the  present  pueblo  Indians  of  Arizona 
and  New  Mexico.  The  term  "  pueblo,"  however,  is  a  general  term,  with  great  latitude  in  its 
application.  It  is  simply  the  Spanish  term  for  "  village  "  or  town.  Hence,  any  Indians  who  live 
in  towns  are  pueblos,  such  as  the  Hopi,  the  Zuni,  and  all  the  Indians  who  occupy  towns  on  the 
Rio  Grande  River  (over  twenty  in  number). 

Every  tribe  has  its  men  and  women  who  are  the  repositories  of  its  past  history.  Much  of  this 
legendary  history  has  been  gleaned  in  recent  years,  and  from  it  a  reasonably  accurate  general  account 
has  been  gathered  of  the  migrations  of  these  peoples,  their  occupancy  of  the  cliffs,  and  the  reason 
thereof,  prior  to  their  settlement  in  their  present  locations.  The  Hopis  can  clearly  be  traced  for 
a  thousand  miles  from  the  south — or,  at  least,  certain  clans  of  their  race — and  at  the  time  they 
built  and  occupied  the  cliff  dwellings  they  were  being  crowded  on  every  side  by  nomad  foes,  who 
swarmed  upon  them,  pillaged  their  cornfields  and  robbed  them  of  every  means  of  subsistence.  Not 
being  a  warhke  people,  they  were  compelled  to  solitude  and  strategy.  They  learned  to  climb  hke 
the  goats  ;  they  trained  themselves,  as  a  matter  of  religion,  in  athletics,  so  that  they  could  run  like 
the  deer ;  and  they  then  established  themselves  in  these  remote  and  inaccessible  places.  Towers 
were  built  on  look-out  points  that  would  also  answer  as  places  of  defence  in  case  of  surprise.  Their 
only  weapons  being  bows  and  arrows,  stone-axes  and  hammers,  and  possibly  a  rude  kind  of  lance  to 
which  a  flint  head  was  affixed,  defence  was  comparatively  easy.  Their  doorways  were  not  closed 
with  wood,  for  they  had  no  tools  with  which  to  saw  or  cut  wood  to  the  required  shape.     They  took 


Photo  hy'i 


[Keystone  Vieui  Co. 


Another   view   of    the    cliff-dwellinBs    of    Arizona. 


North  America 


501 


such  slabs  of  flat  rock  as  they  found  in  the  region  and  used  those  for  doors  ;  hence  the  necessity  for 
making  doors  as  small  as  possible  for  two  reasons  :  one,  to  fit  the  size  of  the  stone  slabs  available 
and  to  be  found,  and  the  other,  that  the  slabs  were  small  enough  to  be  removable.  Here,  then,  is 
the  secret  of  the  small  doorways. 

They  made  rude  pottery,  many  specimens  of  which  have  been  excavated,  some  of  them  large 
enough  to  hold  ten,  twenty  or  more  gallons  of  water,  which  they  gained  from  near-by  springs  and 
stored  in  their  houses  in  case  of  surprise  or  assault.  They  planted  corn  in  the  canyons  and  on  the 
mesa  heights,  close  at  hand,  and  watched  it  grow  from  their  outlook  points. 

In  each  set  of  ruins  is  found  a  kiva,  or  estufa,  the  former  being  the  aboriginal  term  for  a  sacred 
rehgious  chamber,  and  the  latter  being  the  Spanish  term  signifying  a  stove,  applied  to  the  same 
places.  These  kivas  were  the  assembling- places  of  the  clans  for  religious  purposes,  and  as  many 
of  them  were  closed  in,  and  even  below  the  ground  and  without  ventilation,  they  often  became  so 
hot  and  close  as  to  suggest  to  the  old  Spanish  explorers  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago  their 
name  estufa,  or  stove. 

Except  in  a  very  few  cases,  all  the  cliff  ruins  of  the  South- West  are  built  of  the  rude  undressed 
sandstone,  or  other  rocks  that  were  found  in  a  disintegrated  condition,  or  that  could  be  quarried 
with  the  rude  and  simple  tools  of  the  aborigines.  In  the  few  exceptional  cases — one  or  two  of 
which  occur  in  the  Mesa  Verde  ruins — the  stones  were  carefully  selected  and  then  hewn  into  the 
exact  shape  required,  doubtless  by  flint  hammers  and  hatchets,  and  tlien  dressed  by  being  pounded 
with  round-headed  flint  hammers. 

When  the  pressure  of  life  upon  these  poor  hunted  people  was  somewhat  reduced,  they  abandoned 
their  cliff  dwellings  and  moved  to  less  inaccessible  regions  upon  the  tops  of  the  high  mesas,  where 


Pholo  by'\ 


in,  J'/,<'l(ir/irom  Co.  Lid. 


THE    CLIFF    PALACE,    .MESA    VERDE. 


These     are     ihe     dwellings     of     a     non-warlik.:     race.   who.     in     order     to     save     themselves     from     extermination,     built    their 
communal    houses    in    the    most    inaccessible    and    so    most    easily    defended    positions 


502 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


their  descendants  are  found  to-day.  The  instinct  of  self-preservation,  so  deeply  ground  into  them, 
however,  by  stern  necessity,  led  them  even  in  their  new  homes  to  clioose  the  places  most  easily 
defensible,  and  construct  their  houses  so  that  by  the  mere  Ufting  up  of  the  outside  ladder  they  could 
instantaneously  be  converted  into  forts. 

Tree-tike  Stalagmites  in  Ca-ve,  Gran  J  Cany)on  of  Arizona. — Wlierever  those  displacements  and 
shatterings  of  the  earth's  crust  called  fauUings  have  taken  place  in  the  region  of  the  Grand  Canyon 
of  Arizona,  there  it  is  possible  to  build  "  trails  "  from  the  rim  down  to  the  river  in  the  abyss  below. 

This  is  because  the  faulting  breaks 
down  the  massive  walls  and  scatters 
them  in  sloping  "  talus,"  over  which 
trails  are  built  with  comparative  ease. 
In  that  part  of  the  Grand  Canyon 
reached  by  the  railway,  on  the  south 
rim,  there  are  five  trails  that  are 
regularly  used,  tiie  chief  one,  of 
course,  being  that  located  nearest 
to  El  Tovar,  viz.,  the  Bright  Angel 
Trail.  A  few  miles  to  the  west  is 
the  Boucher  Trail,  and  twenty  miles 
further  the  Bass  Trail.  To  the  east, 
sixteen  miles  away,  is  the  Grand 
View  Trail,  and  about  twenty  miles 
the  Red  Canyon  Trail.  Near  the 
Grand  View  Trail,  slightly  below 
the  plateau  two  thousand  feet  from 
the  "  rim,"  there  was  discovered, 
in  1897,  by  Joseph  Gildner,  a  cook 
employed  at  the  mining  camp  of 
Messrs.  Cameron  and  Berry  on  the 
plateau  near  by,  a  series  of  caves  of 
great  interest.  These  caves  are  in  the 
thickest  member  of  the  Canyon  walls 
— the  so-called  "  red-wall  limestone," 
described  in  the  section  devoted  to 
the  Grand  Canyon.  They  were  un- 
doubtedly formed  in  the  earlier  his- 
tory of  the  Canyon  by  some  chemi- 
cally-charged water  which  decomposed 
the  limestone  rock,  and,  carrying  it 
away  in  solution,  left  the  vacant 
spaces  to  be  discovered  in  after  ages. 


Photo  Sy] 

STALAGMITES    IN    A    LIMESTONE 
There     are     few    more    beautiful     specimens     of     limestone 
than    tfiese    glistening    white    spires    that    are     hidden    in    a    c 
ads 


II  hit,:  C(i. 
CAVE.    ARIZONA. 

formations 
ave    on    the 
Grand    View    Trail    which    leads   into    the    Grand    Canyon. 

The  Grand  View  Caves  connect  one  with  another,  and  I  have  had  the  pleasure  of  exploring  and 
visiting  them  on  several  different  occasions.  The  dendritic,  or  foliage-like  mass,  here  pictured 
occupies  a  spot  near  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  within  a  few  feet  of  the  entrance,  which,  however,  is  so 
small  as  to  admit  no  direct  rays  of  hght  upon  the  object.  The  first  photograph  tliat  was  ever  made 
of  it  was  interesting.  I  had  no  "  flash-light  "  powder,  and  it  seemed  an  impossibility.  But  cutting 
up  all  the  candles  I  could  spare,  I  found  I  had  twenty-seven  pieces,  each  of  which  would  burn  for 
a  full  hour.  Focussing  the  camera,  lighting  the  candles  and  then  opening  the  shutter,  we  left  the 
candles  to  do  their  work,  as  we  explored  the  deeper  recesses  of  the  caves.     On  our  return  the  candles 


504 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


had  all  burned  away.  I  finally 
developed  the  plate  and  found 
as  excellent  a  picture  there  as 
is  the  one  from  which  the  ac- 
companying print  is  made. 

The  Capitol  at  Washington. 
— When  the  Colonies  revolted 
from  the  Mother  Country,  and 
in  1776  declared  their  inde- 
pendence, her  statesmen  de- 
cided that  the  capital  city  of 
the  new  republic  must  be 
away  from  any  of  the  im- 
mediate centres  of  popula- 
tion. Accordingly,  July  16, 
1790,  Washington  was  chosen 
as  the  site,  and  a  certain  dis- 
trict purchased  for  purely 
federal  purposes,  and  named 
the  District  of  Columbia. 
This  district  is  therefore  under 
the  control  of  no  state.  Its 
ijjovernment  is  solely  federal. 
The  city  proper  now  covers 
an  area  of  about  fourteen 
miles  in  circumference,  and  in 
the  past  ten  years  has  grown 
and  improved  with  amazing 
rapidity. 

Its  government  was,  in 
1874,  vested  in  three  Com- 
missioners, under  the  juris- 
diction of  Congress.  Its 
population  is  now  {1911) 
nearing  the  four  hundred 
thousand  mark. 

The  most  imposing  structure  in  the  group  of  buildings  used  for  the  administration  of  the  affairs 
of  the  United  States  is  the  National  Capitol  Building.  Its  entire  length  is  seven  hundred  and 
fifty-one  feet  and  four  inches.  Its  width  is  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  it  extends  over  three 
and  one-half  acres  in  area.  Superbly  kept  grounds,  laid  out  in  drives  and  terraces,  surround  it, 
while  to  the  west  stretches  out  the  Mall,  a  park  extending  to  the  Potomac  River,  about  a  mile  away. 
Many  notable  pieces  of  statuary  dot  the  beautifully  kept  lawns. 

The  central  portion  of  the  Capitol  Building  is  constructed  of  Virginia  sandstone,  painted ^a 
ghttering  white.  It  is  upon  this  section  that  the  great  dome  is  built.  Surmounted  by  a  statue 
typifying  Freedom,  i;  lowers  nearly  three  hundred  feet  above  the  esplanade.  It  may  be  ascended  by 
a  winding  stairway,  and  the  view  from  the  top  is  well  worth  the  exertion  of  the  climb. 

In  this  central  portion  of  the  building  are  the  Rotunda,  the  Supreme  Court  Room  and  Statuary 
Hall.  In  this  hall  have  been  placed  many  notable  examples  of  the  sculptor's  art.  Hundreds  of  the 
most  beautiful  paintings  adorn  the  walls  of  these  three  rooms.     Two  massive  bronze  doors,  weighing 


;,■-./.  .^../...  .L.y., <,/.;,/(/  /'(/]  [Ctulericood  it  VndertttoJ. 

A    HOPI     INDIAN    VILLAGE.    ARIZONA. 

A  Hopi  village  occupies  the  most  inaccessible  position  on  a  "mesa."  or  plateau. 
The  walls  of  the  houses  are  made  of  a  rude  mud  mortar,  afterwards  plastered  over 
with    a  smoother   mixture    and    whitewashed. 


North  America 


505 


ten  tons,  and  commemorating  events  in  thie  life  of  Columbus,  adorn  the  eastern  side  of  the  building. 
They  cost  the  Government  $28,000.     On  either  side  of  this  main  building  are  wide  porticoes. 

The  buildings,  or  rather  wings  of  the  main  building,  in  which  the  Senate  and  House  sit,  are 
constructed  of  Massachusetts  marble,  and  are  of  later  construction  than  the  central  portion.  The 
pillars  supporting  the  portico  roofs  of  these  wings  and  of  the  central  part  are  monoliths  whose  size 
creates  amazement. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  main  building  was  laid  by  President  Washington  on  September  18,  1793, 
and  that  of  the  extensions  by  President  Fillmore  on  July  4,  1851.  On  the  latter  occasion  Daniel 
Webster  was  the  orator. 

Houses  of  the  Hopi  Indians,  Northern  Arizona. — Within  a  stone's  throw  of  El  Tovar  Hotel 
at  the  Grand  Canyon,  is  an  Indian  house,  built  as  the  almost  exact  replica  of  a  Hopi  house,  in  the 
village  of  Oraibi.  Though  a  purely  commercial  proposition,  in  that  it  is  a  store  for  the  sale  of  Indian 
curios,  it  lias  distinct  and 
decided  ethnologic  and  edu- 
cative value.  I  know  the 
original  house  of  which  this 
is  tlie  copy.  In  all  save  the 
electric  liglits,  the  steam  heat 
and  other  modern  conveniences 
this  is  a  true  copy,  and 
affords  to  those  who  cannot 
go  over  the  Painted  Desert 
the  long  hundred-mile  drive 
through  tlie  sands  to  the  fasci- 
nating Province  of  Tusayan, 
where  these  Indians  reside  in 
their  quaint  villages,  the  op- 
portunity to  see  and  know 
something  of  their  life,  customs 
and  ceremonials.  For  there 
are  several  families  of  Hopi 
and  also  of  the  Navaho  tribes 
here,  engaged  in  the  making 
of  baskets,  blankets,  pottery, 
bead  -  work,  silverware  and 
their  other  industries.  As  a 
museum  the  Hopi  House  is  an 
important  exhibition.  Many 
European  national  museums 
do  not  contain  as  many  and 
as  valuable  articles  illustrativf 
of  the  Indians'  domestic  life 
as  are  to  be  found  here.  In 
the  riglit  foreground  of  the 
engraving  is  to  be  seen  a  large 
and  exquisitely  made  jar  or 
olla  (pronounced  "  oh-yah  ") 
of  basket  -  work,  so  finely 
woven  that  it  holds  water. 


From  Stereo  copyright  hyl,  L'  iMrritoMi  .1-  Umiertiood. 

A    HOPI    INDIAN    VILLAGE.    ARIZONA. 
This  stairway  through  the  cliff  leading  to  the  Hopi  village  could  be  easily  defended 
in    time    of   assault,    and    for    this    reason    is    chosen    by    the    Hopi    Indians   as 
entrance   to    their   village. 


suitable 


5o6 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


But  however  true  to  the  reahty  the  Hopi  House  at  the  Grand  Canyon  is,  the  real  way  to  know  the 
Hopis  is  to  visit  them  in  their  own  quaint  and  interesting  villages.  They  reside  in  nine  towns,  seven 
of  which  occupy  almost  inaccessible  sites  on  tlie  summits  of  three  mesas,  or  rocky  table-lands,  which 
rise  from  five  hundred  to  eight  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  surrounding  desert.  Imagine 
a  rude  and  misshapen  hand  with  but  three  fingers,  and  these  ten  miles  apart  ;  the  arm  being  the 
main  table-land  and  the  three  fingers  being  the  sites  of  the  seven  Hopi  villages.  On  the  eastern- 
most mesa  are  three  towns;  viz.,  Tewa,  or 
Hano,  Sichumavi  and  Walpi.  Each  is  reached 
by  a  steep  and  precipitous  trail,  in  many  places 
steps  being  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock.  The 
most  northerly  town  is  Tewa.  Within  a  stone's 
throw  is  Sichumavi,  and  yet,  strange  to  say, 
t]ie  people  of  the  two  towns  speak  entirely 
different  languages.  The  reason  is  that  about 
the  year  1700  the  Sichumavi  and  Walpi  Indians 
were  much  beset  by  nomad  Indians  who 
harassed  them  considerably,  stealing  their 
flocks  and  herds,  and  occasionally  their  wives 
and  children.  At  this  time  a  band  of  Tewa 
Indians  from  near  the  Rio  Grande,  several 
hundred  miles  to  the  east,  were  driven  from 
their  homes  by  other  hostile  Indians,  and  at 
the  request  of  the  Hopis  they  came  and  settled 
upon  this  unoccupied  site  on  the  mesa  to  act 
as  allies.  In  return  for  their  warlike  aid  they 
were  accorded  the  right  to  remain,  which  they 
have  ever  since  done.  Their  own  name  for 
their  village  is  Hano,  but  when  the  Hopis  were 
asked  who  they  were  they  replied  "  Tewas,"  so 
that  name  was  also  accorded  their  village,  and 
by  it  it  is  generally  known. 

The  houses  of  all  these  Hopi  villages  are 
built  of  the  "  chips  "  of  sandstone  found  loose 
upon  the  top  of  the  disintegrating  mesas.  The 
walls  are  laid  up  in  a  rude  mud  mortar,  and 
generally  plastered  over  with  a  thick  mud 
known  as  adobe  (pronounced  "  ah-do-by "), 
and  then  whitewashed.  The  architecture  is 
very  simple  and  primitive,  yet  most  interesting. 
The  first  remarkable  fact  about  it  is  that  the 
houses  are  designed  and  built  throughout  by 
the  women.  I  have  seen  thirty-six  women 
at  one  time  engaged  in  building  a  house.  The  men  sat  by  in  contented  restfulness,  smoking  their 
cigarettes,  while  the  women  were  their  own  paddies,  mortar- mixers,  hod-carriers  and  "bricklayers." 
After  considerable  persuasion  I  got  the  whole  thirty-six  to  consent  to  my  photographing  them  on 
condition  that  I  gave  to  each  one  calico  for  a  new  dress.  That  night  when  I  distributed  the  calico 
at  my  camp  I  expressed  to  the  women  the  pity  white  women  so  often  give  voice  to,  that  they  have 
to  do  the  hard  work  while  their  lazy  men  sit  by  and  do  nothing.  With  spirit  these  Indian  women 
replied  and  asked  me  if  our  white  women  were  all  fools.     I  responded  with  a  vigorous  negative. 


From  stereo  copyright  hy^  lU/utertrood  li'  Under isootl. 

THE    DANCE    ROCK    OF    THE    HOPI    INDIANS. 

Dencing  plays  an  irrportant  part  in  the  leligious  ceremDnies 
or  the  Hopi  Indians,  and  this  stone,  which  is  the  "Dance  Rock," 
is  an  object   of  great   veneration   amongst    them. 


Fi'om  Stare  J  copynjhi  hy'\  [  htdertcood  <&  Undertcood. 

A    HOPI     INDIAN    HOUSE    INTERIOR. 

These    hous^es    are    designed    and    built    throughout   by    women,    and    furlhermore    they    are    owned   by    the    wcm*n.    together  with   all 
the    chattels    contained    in    them.        Even    the    crops,    t.6    socn    as    they    dre    harvesltd.    arc    th^    properly    of    the    women. 


5o8 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


"But,"  said  the  spokeswoman,  "they 
must  be.  Why  should  they  sympathize 
with  us.  We  do  not  need  their  sym- 
pathy. The  men  have  their  work  to 
do,  and  they  do  it  without  our  inter- 
ference or  help.  This  is  our  work. 
We  neither  need  nor  desire  their  help. 
Those  Above  "  (they  always  speak  of 
the  Supreme  Powers  as  "  Those  Above  ") 
"  have  given  us  the  work  and  strength 
to  do  it,  and  let  the  men  who  attempt 
to  interfere  with  us  in  doing  it  beware." 
But  not  only  are  the  houses  built  by 
the  women.  They  are  owned  by  them, 
and,  what  is  more,  as  soon  as  the  crops 
of  corn  (maize),  melons,  onions,  chilis, 
peaches,  etc.,  are  brought  in  from  the 
fields  and  orchards  by  the  men,  these 
become  the  property  of  the  women,  so 
that  a  man  may  not  sell  a  shilling's 
worth  of  the  crops  he  has  himself  grown, 
without  the  consent  of  his  wife,  once 
they  have  been  put  into  her  care. 

As  one  stands  in  the  public  plaza 
and  looks  at  these  houses,  he  sees 
that  they  are  built  in  terrace  fashion, 
generally  three  stories  high,  so  that 
they  appear  to  be  in  three  gigantic  steps. 
They  were  originally  without  doors  or 
windows  in  the  lower  story,  and  the 
only  way  to  gain  access  was  by  means 
of  rude  ladders.  One  climbed  the 
ladders,  and  then  dropped  through  a  hole  in  the  roof.  This  arrangement  was  for  purposes  of  defence. 
When  attacked,  the  villagers  could  pull  up  their  ladders  and  thus  their  houses  became  their  forts. 

Ten  miles  away  from  the  First,  or  eastern,  mesa,  is  the  Second,  or  Middle  mesa.  Upon  this 
are  the  three  towns  of  Mashonganavi,  Shungopavi  and  Shipauluvi.  The  Illustration  on  page 
505  is  of  the  stairway  leading  up  to  Mashonganavi.  Ten  miles  further  west  is  the  seventh 
village  of  Oraibi,  the  largest  of  the  seven.  It  used  to  have  a  population  of  about  a  thousand  souls, 
as  compared  with  two  thousand  aggregated  in  the  other  six  villages,  but  owing  to  internal  dissen- 
sions a  new  village  has  sprung  up  from  Oraibi  in  the  past  ten  years,  Hotavila,  hence  Oraibi  now 
does  not  have  more  than  five  to  six  hundred  souls.  The  ninth  village  is  Moencopi,  the  agricul- 
tural resort  of  the  Oraibis,  forty  miles  away. 

The  Mjuni  of  t'lz  H}!y  C-oss. — Tlie  State  of  Colorado  is  in  the  heart  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It 
is  a  State  of  sublime  scenery.  Pike's  Peak,  Long's  Peak,  Old  Ouray,  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  range, 
the  Spanish  Peaks,  Crested  Butte,  and  a  score  of  other  mountains — aye,  a  hundred — give  majesty 
and  sublimit}'  to  every  landscape.  Although  not  so  towering  in  its  height,  nor  so  massive  in  its  bulk, 
nor  so  impressive  in  its  mighty  slopes  as  some  of  the  others,  there  yet  stands  one  peak  in  Colorado 
that  perhaps  is  better  known  than  all  the  rest  combined.  Why  is  this  ?  It  is  because,  near  to  its 
summit,  as  if  especially  emblazed  by  the  Divine  Creator  for  a  purpose,  is  the  Cross,  the  symbol  of 


From  Utereo  copyright  lul  [''iidfricood  <(■  Viide''icood. 

ANOTHER     INTERIOR     OF    A     H3PI     INDIAN     HOUSE. 
Notice    the     baskets,    the     blankets     and     the    pottery     that     the    women 
make   and    sell.      The    weaving    of     the    Hopi     Indian    is    so    fine     that     the 
basket-work    jars,    such    as    are    seen    here,    will    hold    water. 


North   America 


509 


Christianity,  thus  giving  its  name  to  the  mountain — the  Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross.  As  one  rides  on  the 
hne  of  the  Rio  Grande  Railway,  slowly  mounting  higher  and  higher  towards  Tennessee  Pass,  one 
enters  a  side  valley,  from  which  the  eye  is  led  upwards  to  where  a  majestic  peak,  like  a  giant 
cathedral,  pierces  the  sky,  overlooking  a  wide  scene  of  alpine  forest,  verdant  meadows,  sparkling 
streams  and  quiet  picturesqueness.  Seen  anywhere  it  would  be  attractive,  for  it  presents  a  noble 
front  of  almost  unbroken  aspect,  in  marked  contrast  to  the  wild  ruggedness  of  the  jagged  boulders, 
tossing  foothills  and  mountain  torrent  which  occupy  the  more  immediate  foreground.  But  it  is 
more  than  the  mere  mountain  that  arrests  our  attention.  Carved  on  its  very  summit,  as  if  in  proud 
acclaim  to  the  world,  is  the  sacred  s3'mbol  of  Christianity,  graven  in  such  colossal  size,  as  though  to 
challenge  the  attention  of  every  human  being  within  two  hundred  miles  or  more. 

The  Jesuits,  the  Dominicans,  the  Franciscans,  and  other  Catholic  orders  brought  the  Cross  with 
the  Conquistadores  and  planted  it,  in  the  fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries,  in  Mexico,  and  in  the 
heart  of  what  is  now  United  States  territory.  In  Florida,  in  Texas,  in  Arizona,  in  New  Mexico,  even 
in  Kansas,  Jesuit  and  Franciscan 
wandered ;  the  Puritan  came 
and  brought  his  stern  worship 
of  Christ  to  New  England  ;  and 
even  the  freebooter.  Sir  Francis 
Drake,  allowed  his  chaplain  and 
men  to  worship  on  the  shores  of 
San  Francisco  Bay.  For  two  or 
three  centuries  men  took  posses- 
sion of  parts  of  this  new  land  in 
the  name  of  their  king  and  of 
the  Christ  who  sanctified  tlie 
hated  Cross  of  Calvary,  and  yet 
ages  and  ages  before  these  men 
were  sired  the  Divine  Father 
Himself  had  placed  this  symbol  of 
His  crucified  Son  upon  the  brow 
of  this  majestic  summit  in  the 
heart  of  the  country,  thus  declar- 
ing His  supremacy  and  purpose. 

Call  it  chance — the  blind 
working  of  earthquake,  thunder- 
bolt and  Nature's  sculpturing, 
that  these  ravines  were  so 
carved  as  to  make  them  de- 
positories of  winter's  snows,  so 
deep  that  they  remain  through- 
out the  larger  part  of  the 
year  shaped  after  this  universal 
symbol.  Chance  is  merely  the 
name  we  give  to  the  working  out 
of  great  forces  that  are  beyond 

our  puny  ken.     Here  is  the  fact :         ^^^^^^^^  ^ne  rnotockron,  c.  ua. 

for      countless      centuries     this  ^^^  ^^^^^  ^P  ^^^  ^^^^^  cross.  Colorado. 

Divine  symbol  has  been  Hfted  on       ^^^^^^  ^^  ^_^,^^^  ^^  ,^^  .^„^..  „,  .^j.  „.;„,;,  p„t.  .^^  coicai  .ymboi  ,{ 

high    and    reflected    to  the  clouds,  Chiislianlly  dominates  a    scene    of   exquisite  grandeur   in    the   Rocky   Mountains. 


5IO 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


remi  iding  the  thoughtful  man  of  those  words  of  Holy  Writ  spoken  by  the  Crucified  Himself  :   "  And 
I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  men  unto  Me." 

The  Clouds  of  Californta,  &c. — Few  people  unfamiliar  with  travel  in  certain  regions  can  dream 
of  the  exquisitely  beautiful  and  marvellously  strange  clouds  that  now  and  again  dot  the  sky  in  these 
particular  lands.  Take  the  United  States,  for  example.  In  crossing  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to 
the  Pacific  the  traveller  begins  in  a  region  where  the  sky  is  generally  grey  and  with  clouds  similar 
to  those  seen  cont  nually  in  England.  But  as  soon  as  he  reaches  Colorado  and  New  Mexico  the 
grey  sky  disappears,  scarcely  to  be  seen  a  dozen  times  in  a  year,  and  in  its  place  appears  the  clear 
turquoise  sky  that  for  days  at  a  time  is  perfectly  cloudless.  Then  suddenly,  apparently  without 
rhyme  or  reason,  clouds  beg'n  to  appear  of  forms,  movements  and  fleeciness  totally  beyond  the  behef 
or  comprehension  of  the  man  familiar  only  with  the  sky  of  the  Atlantic  coast. 


Photo  by} 


\_Undericood  ti-  Underuood. 


A     REMARKABLE    CLOUD-FORMATION,    CALIFORNIA. 


This    photograph    was    taken    in    the    Sierra    Madre    Mountains,  South    California,    and    is    an    excellent    example    of    a   cloud- 

foi  mat  ion    totally    unknown    in    this    country 

The  southern  portion  of  the  great  State  of  California  possesses  this  exquisitely  clear  sky  for, 
say,  three  hundred  days  in  the  year.  Imagine  a  sky,  as  pure  a  blue  as  the  mind  can  conceive,  that 
for  three  hundred  days  in  the  year  sees  never  a  cloud  to  mar  its  spotlessness.  Yet  there  are  certain 
meteorological  conditions  in  this  region  that  produce  clouds  and  fog  which  are  as  interesting  as 
they  are  peculiar.  For  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  Southern  California  lies  open  to  the  Pacific 
Ocean.  That  is,  there  is  no  mountain  range  between  the  valley  land  and  the  sea.  This  allows 
free  and  easy  access  of  the  breezes  from  the  ocean,  without  any  of  the  winds  that  are  caused  when 
a  mountain  barrier,  with  its  passes,  stands  between  the  ocean  and  the  land.  This  open  region 
varies  in  width  from  a  mile  or  two  to  fifty  and  a  hundred  miles,  and  is  then  arrested  by  a  high 
mountain  chain  with  peaks  six,  seven,  eight,  ten  and  even  twelve  thousand  feet  high.  Imme- 
diately on  the  other  side  of  these  towering  heights  the  mountains  decline  rapidly  to  the  sands 
of  the  Mohave,  Colorado,  Arizona  and  Sonora  deserts,  some  portions  of  which  are  below  sea-level, 
and  all  of  which  contain  little  verdure  above  the  hardy  desert  shrubs,  such  as  the  creosote  bush, 


North  America 


511 


the  salt  bush,  the  yucca,  cactus,  etc. 
Here,  then,  are  wonderful  conditions 
for  the  manufacture  of  climate  that 
scarce  exist  anywhere  else  in  the  world. 
When  the  sun  shines  upon  the  sandy 
face  of  the  barren  desert  the  rapid  as- 
cension of  the  heated  air  causes  a  gentle 
current  slowly  to  flow  from  the  ocean. 
This  invariably  begins  in  the  forenoon 
and  moves  inland  until  evening,  when 
there  is  usually  a  season  of  calm. 
Then,  later,  the  current  is  reversed  and 
the  land  breeze  comes  gently  over  the 
slopes  of  the  snow-clad  mountains. 
Under  certain  conditions  of  barometric 
pressure  these  ocean  and  desert  breezes 
come  laden  with  moisture,  which 
changes  into  clouds  and  fog.  There 
are  two  kinds  of  fog  generally  known 
in  this  region^ — low  and  high.  The 
low  fog  seldom  rises  above  two  thou- 
sand feet,  and  if  one  ascends  to  an 
elevation  over  that,  he  can  look  down 
upon  the  fog  and  see  it  in  all  its 
peculiar  beauty.  Like  a  fleecy  white 
sea,  silent  and  still,  it  covers  the  land 
below. 

The  high  fog,  on  the  other  hand, 
generally  ranges  from  six  to  eight 
thousand  feet  in  height,  and  one  must 
be  on  a  mountain  peak  higher  than  this 
to  be  able  to  look  down  upon  it.  A 
most  singularly  beautiful  effect  is 
produced  when  there  is  both  a  high 
and  a  low  fog,  and  the  sun  shines 
down  through  a  portion  of  the  high 
fog  upon  the  surface  of  the  low 
fog. 

The  Washington  Monument. — The 
greatest  memorial  shaft  of  the  world 
is  that  erected  by  the  American 
people  of  the  United  States  to  George 
Washington,  the  "  father  of  his 
country,"  and  first  president,  in  the 
city  which  also  bears  his  name — the 
capital  city  of  the  American  Re- 
pubHc  of  the  United  States.  It  is 
five  hundred  and  fifty-five  feet  high 
and  was  thirty-seven  years  in  building. 


Photo  by']  [?%^  Photochrom  Co.  Ltd. 

THE    WASHINGTON    MEMORIAL. 

The   site    of    the   greatest    iriemorial   shaft    in    the    woild    was    chasen     by 

the     great      President     Washington      himself.        This      great      white      marble 

column    is   crowned    with    a    tip    of    aluminium,    so   that    it    never   tarnishes 


512 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Its  site  was  chosen  by  Presi- 
dent Washington  himself. 
The  foundation  was  laid  in 
1848,  and  the  capstone,  a 
conical  block  of  American 
aluminium,  was  set  in  place 
in  1884.  The  lower  portion 
of  the  monument  is  built  of 
New  England  granite,  faced 
witli  crystal  marble ;  the 
upper  part  of  pure  white 
marble.  The  top  is  reached 
by  an  elevator  or  by  a 
flight  of  nine  hundred  steps. 
It  has  been  well  said  that 
"  the  dignity,  symmetry  and 
towering  height  of  Wash- 
ington's character,  as  it 
now  presents  itself  to  the 
minds  of  his  countrymen, 
are  well  exemplified  in  the 
majestic  simplicity  of  his 
monument." 

It  is  the  realization  of 
a  popular  movement  for  a 
national  memorial  to  Wash- 
ington which  began  before 
his  death,  and  crystallized 
sufficiently  to  enable  him 
personally  to  indicate  his 
preference  of  site.  Republics 
are  tardy,  however,  very 
often,  even  in  their  recognition  of  the  men  they  most  dehght  to  honour,  and  it  was  not  until  the 
wave  of  patriotism  developed  by  the  year  of  the  Nation's  Centennial  that  Congress  determined  to 
finish  the  shaft  begun  in  1848.  To  General  T.  L.  Casey,  Chief  of  the  U.S.  Engineers,  the  work 
was  entrusted  of  enlarging  and  strengthening  the  foundations,  which  he  successfully  accomphshed, 
making  of  them  a  sohd  mass  of  blue  rock,  one  hundred  and  forty-six  feet  square. 

The  keystone  that  binds  the  interior  ribs  of  stone  that  support  the  marble  facing  of  the  pyramidal 
cap  of  the  monument  weighs  nearly  five  tons.  It  is  four  feet  six  inches  high  and  three  feet  six  inches 
square  at  the  top.  The  capstone,  which  is  five  feet  two  and  a  half  inches  in  height,  and  about  three 
feet  square  at  its  base,  was  laid  December  6,  1884.  Its  summit  was  crowned  with  a  tip  or  point  of 
aluminium,  which  never  oxidizes  and  is  always  bright. 

Victoria  Regia,  The  Gigantic  Water  Lily, — There  are  many  marvellous  water  lilies  in  the 
world  that  have  excited  the  admiration  of  mankind,  and  most  of  them  have  been  found  to  flourish  in 
some  parts  of  the  United  States.  But  most  wonderful  of  all  in  size  is  the  Victoria  Regia,  here 
photographed  as  it  grows  in  Como  Park,  near  to  Lake  Como,  a  favourite  resort  of  the  residents  of  the 
north-western  section  of  the  city  of  St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  This  particular  hly  finds  its  original  habitat 
in  the  marshy  ponds  which  cover  hundreds  of  miles  of  the  Amazon  Valley.  While  in  the  picture 
leaves  are  shown  from  seven  to  ten  feet  in  diameter,  they  are  known  to  grow  to  twice  that  size  in 


From  Stereo  copyriglil  hy\  [Uiuleruood  it  Underwood. 

THE    VICTORIA    REGIA. 
This     gigantic    water-lily     thrives     in    the    tropic    heat     of    the    Amazon    Valley.     The 
upturned     leaves     are     characteristic     of     the     species,     and     their    vast    green    surface    is 
supported  underneath    by   a    strong   framework    of   twisted    tissues. 


(By  the  Photochrom  Co.,  Ltd.) 


THE  GREAT  FOUNTAIN  GEYSER,  YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 

This  fountain,  situated  in  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  sights  in  the  celebrated  Park. 
A  shaft  of  boiling  water  rises  to  a  height  of  ISO  feet,  when  it  is  dispersed  in  a  rainbow  spray. 


North  America 


513 


the  heat  of  their  native  tropical  habitat.  The  stem  is  hollow,  but  solid  and  firm,  and  it  sends  out 
its  framework  in  such  fashion  as  to  securely  sustain  a  larger  weight  than  that  of  the  little  maiden 
who  so  serenely  uses  it  as  her  fairy  raft.  The  strength  of  the  leaf  is  enhanced  by  the  upturned 
edge,  which  is  a  distinguishing  feature  of  this  species,  and  adds  in  no  small  measure  to  the 
striking  beauty  of  the  plant.  The  blossoms  are  large  and  fragrant,  of  a  dehcate  pink  and  from 
eight  to  twelve  inches  in  diameter. 


CHAPTER    XYII. 
By   NUGENT  M.   OLOUGHER,   F.R  G.S. 

Mont  Pelez, — -It  will  take  many  years  to  obliterate  the  shudder  which  ran  through  the  civilized 
■world  when,  in  May,  1902,  the  news  of  the  eruption  of  Mont  Pelee,  with  the  accompanying  loss  of 
life,  became  known.  The  reports  were  at  first  discredited,  but  when  the  story  was  officially  confirmed, 
iunds  were  rapidly  organized  in  every  quarter  of  the  world  for  the  relief  of  the  homeless  in  the 
French  island  colony  of  Martinique. 

According  to  scientific  experts,  the  eruption  at  Martinique  was  not  so  great  as  that  in  the  island 

of  St.  Vincent,  which  took  place  in  the  same  month.     The  area  devasted  at  the  former  place  was 

certainly  not  so  great,  but  the  terrible  loss  of  life  at  St.  Pierre  intensified  the  horrors  of  the  eruption 

in  Martinique.     This  city,  at    one  time  the  chief  commercial  city  of  Martinique,  was  completely 

levelled  to  the  ground  in  a  re- 


markably  short  space  of  time 
— destroyed  by  its  proximity 
to  the  volcano  at  the  foot  of 
Mont  Pelee.  One  day  the 
•streets  were  thronged  with 
people,  business  being  trans- 
acted and  life  progressing  in 
the  usual  way ;  the  next  day 
between  thirty  and  forty 
thousand  of  the  inhabitants 
were,  almost  in  an  instant, 
lying  dead  —  buried  beneath 
the  ruins  and  piles  of  ashes. 

During  the  early  months 
■of  the  year  the  volcano  had 
shown  signs  of  activity,  and 
on  the  second  and  third  days 
in  May  small  eruptions  took 
place,  destroying  some  planta- 
tions. On  May  8th  the  final 
and  fatal  eruption  occurred, 
devastating  one-tenth  of  the 
whole  island.  Great  clouds 
of  smoke  and  a  mass  of  fire 
appeared,  whilst  molten  lava 
and  ashes  fell  on  the  city 
and  its  surroundings,  destroy- 
ing,   indiscriminately,   people. 


Photo  by'\ 


[Kevstone  View  Co. 


The 


ale 


MONT    PELEE 
This  view  of  Mont   Pelee  was  taUen  within  800  feet   of  its  riven  crest.      1  he  volcano 
was  dormant  for  many  years;  but  since  the  eruption  of   1902    it  has  remained  in  a  state 
of  continual  activity 

34 


5H 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


buildings,  and  ships,  only  one  of  the  latter  escaping.  Then,  many  of  those  who  had  escaped 
the  lava  and  ashes  were  caught  in  the  merciless  toils  of  the  dense  gases  that  settled  upon  the  city, 
and  suffocated  by  the  noxious  fumes. 

In  addition  to  the  loss  of  human  life,  the  financial  loss  is  said  to  have  amounted  to  four  million 
pounds ! 

The  north  end  of  the  city  was  buried  with  ashes,  the  demolition  being  so  complete  that  the 
remains  of  the  houses  could  not  be  seen  by  those  who  afterwards  visited  the  scene. 

As  early  as  April  25th  sulphur  vapours  descended  on  St.  Pierre,  the  air  becoming  so  charged  that 
many  animals  fell  down  dead  in  the  streets.  On  May  2nd,  the  deposit  of  ashes  became  sufficiently 
deep  to  stop  traffic,  and  yet  comparatively  few  of  the  inhabitants  attempted  to  flee  from  the  doomed 

area.  During  the  few  days  preceding 
the  great  calamity  a  deluge  of  water 
from  the  volcano  also  assisted  to 
destroy  many  of  the  surrounding 
villages.  The  lava,  ashes  and  water 
were  not  the  only  destructive  agents, 
however,  for  on  May  5th  mud  flowed 
down  the  side  of  the  mountain  with 
great  velocity,  burying  many  of  the 
buildings  in  its  path. 

The  early  morning  of  May  8tb 
seemed  no  worse  than  some  of  the 
preceding  ones,  but  at  eight  o'clock 
great  clouds  issued  from  the  mouth 
of  the  volcano,  and  within  two  minutes 
the  city  was  destroyed  and  the  populace 
lay  dead. 

On  the  20th  of  the  same  month  a 
second  eruption  took  place,  which  is 
said  to  have  been  as  violent  as  the 
first,  although  the  damage  done  was 
small  compared  with  that  of  the 
previous  devastation. 

Mexico. — For  centuries  the  early 
civilization  of  Mexico  has  been  a 
mystery.  Theories  have  come  into  being,  lasted  for  a  time,  and  then  disappeared  as  unlikely 
or  impracticable.  In  the  sixteenth  century,  when  the  Spaniards  came  into  the  mainland  from, 
the  islands  of  the  West  Indies,  they  wondered  at  the  ruins  they  found — great  temples  with 
massive  columns,  an  old  civilization  with  official  administration  and  Courts  of  Justice,  arts  and 
crafts  of  no  mean  order.     They  wondered  then — we  are  wondering  even  to-day  ! 

It  is  now  considered  most  likely  that  the  old  races  of  America  are  connected  in  some- 
way with  the  Tartar  tribes  of  Asia,  perhaps  long  ago,  when  Asia  and  America  were  connected  by 
land. 

Explorers  such  as  Humboldt  have  investigated  the  matter,  and  find  that  the  peculiar  animal 
calendar  of  the  tribes  of  Asia  is  reproduced  in  Mexico.  There  are  many  other  points  of  similarity 
between  the  ideas  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  two  continents  which  lead  to  the  opinion  of  to-day  that 
there  has  been  some  connection  at  a  remote  date. 

The  name  Mexico  itself  takes  us  back  to  the  old  days,  for  its  origin  was  due  to  the  existing  tribes- 
who  called  themselves  Mexica  or  Asteca. 


From  Stereo  copyright  lyl  IVnilerwooi  <t  Underuood. 

MONT    PEL^E     IN    ERUPTION. 

This  outburst  of  smoke  was  computed  by  eye-witnesses  to  have  attained 
a  height  of  over  three  miles 


From  Ht€7-eo  copy?'ight  by 


\_Underuood  A'  Vnderuood, 


MONT    PELeE    in    ERUPTION. 


A  striking  view  of  a  grand  column  of  smoke  issuing  from  the  volcano.  Terrible  as  this  eruption  appears,  it  is  nothing;  to  the 
greater  outburst  of  lava  and  volcanic  ash  which  swept  away  the  city  of  St.  Pierre  and  destroyed  its  30.000  inhabitants  in  an 
Instant* 


5i6 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


These  Aztec  Indians 
moved  from  place  to  place 
over  the  Valley  of  Mexico, 
and  in  1325  formed  a  settle- 
ment that  has  through  the 
years  grown  to  be  the 
Mexico  City  of  to-day,  the 
capital  of  the  country. 

The  reign  of  the  Aztecs 
was  comparatively  modern, 
for  long  before  them  were 
the  Toltecs,  noted  for  their 
knowledge  of  the  gold- 
smith's and  silversmith's 
arts  and  picture  writing. 
It  is  probably  due  to  these 
people  that  we  have  por- 
tions of  the  fine  temples 
and  writings  that  still  re- 
main for  our  wonderment. 
Wliere  they  obtained  this 
knowledge  takes  us  to  ages 
that  are  lost  in  mists  of 
antiquity. 

The  picture  writings  are 
particularly  interesting,  and 
it  is  said  that  liad  the 
Spanish  not  landed  in  the 
country  the  writing  would 
have  been  discovered  again, 
for,  much  the  same  as  the 
Egyptian  hieroglyphs  gave 
place  to  the  phonetic  signs, 
and  were  able  to  be  traced, 
these'writings,  too,  would  have  developed  into  a  script  that  the  scholar  could  have  translated  and 
which  would  have  given  a  key  to  the  picture  language.  By  means  of  these  pictures  names  of 
persons  and  places  were  recorded  as  well  as  dates. 

Not  far  from  Oaxaca,  in  the  southern  part  of  Mexico,  and  almost  due  south  of  Vera 
Cruz,  is  situated  the  village  of  Mitla.  Here  is  the  home  of  some  of  the  finest  remains 
of  Mexico's  past  civilization.  Yet  these  ruins  possess  no  definite  history.  We  do  not 
even  know  the  causes  which  went  to  the  building  of  so  great  a  city  or  the  reason  of  its 
importance ;  we  are  forced  to  be  content  with  conjecture,  which  is  a  poor  substitute  for 
historical  accuracy. 

For  this  reason  they  remain  unmentioned  while  ruins  in  other  countries  of  far  less  interest  are 
the  subject  of  much  learned  discussion  and  many  valuable  treatises. 

A  considerable  portion  of  the  ancient  site  is  occupied  by  the  present  village,  yet  much  of  the 
old  work  remains,  owing,  probably,  to  its  distance  from  the  creek,  which,  flowing  through  the  valley, 
attracted  the  inhabitants  to  place  their  thatched  houses  along  its  banks  and  left  the  older  town 
undisturbed,  but  disrespect  for  history  has  had  a  share  in  demolishing  some  of  the  old  buildings, 


Photo  by^  li'ie/re  Co.,    Washiniiton. 

AN    ICE    CAVE.      PARADISE    GLACIER. 
Paradise    Glacier  is  one  of    the   fourteen    living  glaciers   on   Mount    Rainier    or    Tacoina, 
one  of    the   highest   peaks  of   the    RocUy   Mountains.       The   interior   of  an   ice  grotto   is  usually 
flooded  with  a  brilliant  effect  of  blue  and  green  light. 


North  America 


517 


for  the  churches,  the  market-place,  as  well  as  the  principal  buildings  of  the  newer  town,  are  of 
stone,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  much  of  this  stone  was  brought  from  the  nearest  source  of 
supply — the  ancient  ruins. 

The  ruins  represent  cities  of  less  extent  and  of  less  importance  than  many  in  Yucatan,  but 
the  preservation  is  far  superior,  which  thus  renders  the  present  interest  considerably  greater. 
The  ornamentation  here  is  different  from  elsewhere.  The  decorations  are,  in  many  cases, 
geometric,  and  this  is  not  the  case  with  the  ruins  of  Monte  Alban,  etc. 

The  buildings  themselves  have  been  erected  in  groups  of  four,  which,  placed  in  the  form  of  a 
square,  formed  a  central  court,  from  which  the  various  chambers  were  entered  through  small  doors. 
There  are,  altogether,  five  clusters  of  these  buildings.  The  walls  are  frequently  four  feet  thick, 
and  are  finished  on  both  sides  either  in  plaster  or  dressed  stone.  Frequently  mosaic  work  was 
used  for  ornamenting  the  interiors  of  the  long,  narrow  rooms,  and  this  was  usually  in  geometric 
patterns. 

There  is  much  conjecture  regarding  the  construction  of  the  roofs,  but  it  is  generally  thought 
that  they  were  built  of  wood  and  supported  on  wooden  beams.  This  was  probably  the  use  of 
the  fine  columns,  which  in  Mitla  alone  are  to  be  found  inside  of  the  rooms.      It  is  thought  that, 


liy  permission  o/] 

THE     RUINS    OF    MITLA. 

The  southern  subterranean  corridor  of  the  north  group  of  luins.  The  pillar  is 
These  monoliths  are  of  roushly  hewn  stone,  and  probably  supported  the  joists  of  a 
building. 


IT/ie  yafi 

oua/  Unilunys  of  Me.cico. 

one   of    the   ftw   that 

still    remain  in  position. 

wooden   roof   sloping 

to    the   two  sides   of    the 

5i8 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


erected  as  they  are  down  the  centre  of  the  room,  beams  were  placed  along  their  tops  and  other 

beams  were  then  put  across  from  this  centre  row  to  each  side  wall. 

Of  the  three  or  four  halls  which  must  have  originally  contained  these  columns,  only  two  have 

them  in  their  proper  position  to-day  ;  of  tliese,  one  contains  six,  the  other  but  two.      The  columns 

were  let  into  the  ground  to  the  extent  of  four  or  five  feet,  leaving  eleven  feet  above  the  floor.     They 

were  very  massive,  frequently  having  a  diameter  at  the  base  of  three  feet. 

Probably  the  reason  why  Mitla  has  been  favoured  with  such  good  work  is  due  to  the  quality  of 

the  local  stone,  which  is  excellent  for  carving,  being  durable  and  yet  easily  worked. 
.   The  decoration  on  the  walls  consists,  besides  the  sculpture  and  mosaic  work,  of  painted  designs. 

These  are  finished  in  red  on  a  grey  background,  and,  unlike  the  carvings,  represent  figures  of  men 

and  animals,  which  are 
worked  in  with  the  general 
decorative  design. 

The  ruins  have  suffered 
much  in  the  past,  for,  ac- 
cording to  Charney,  who 
published  his  valuable  book 
in  1887,  the  Indians  re- 
moved many  of  the  smaller 
stones  in  the  belief  that 
they  would  some  day  turn 
to  gold.  This  desecration 
has,  however,  at  last  ceased, 
and  to-day,  besides  pre- 
venting further  destruc- 
tion, much  is  being  done  to 
restore  many  of  the  temples 
and  strengthen  parts  that 
have  been  broken  up  by 
earthquakes  and  other 
causes.  Attention  is  also 
being  paid  to  the  further 
discovery  of  the  tombs 
and  chambers  that  have 
for  centuries  remained  in 
an     uncared-for    state    of 

vanishid  Toitecs.  buricd  silcuce. 

The  Norris  Basin,  Yellcnusione  Park. — On  March  ist,  1872,  the  President  of  the  United  States 

placed  his  signature  to  a  Bill  that  had  passed  the  Senate  and  the  House,  for  the  setting  apart  of 

the  Yellowstone  National  Park  for  ever  for  the  people. 

Niagara  and  the  Yosemite    Valley  were  already   known  as  wonders  of   the   North  American 

continent,  but  what  is  now  the  Park  had  been  viewed  by  none  save  a  few  trappers  and  prospectors 

seeking  for  traces  of  gold. 

George  Catlin,  whose  life  was  given  to  the  recording  by  pen  and  painting  of  Indian  customs  and 

characteristics,  was  one  of  the  first  to  conceive  the  idea  of  a  national  park.     He  desired  that  a  large 

area  should  be  set  aside  by  the  Government  for  the  preserving  of  Indians  and  animals  in  their  then 

existing  state,  unaltered  by  the  attack  of  civilization. 

Years  passed,  his  six  hundred  paintings  were  preserved  in  the  Smithsonian  Institute,  and  it  was 

not  until  1872  that  his  desires  of  forty  years  before  were  realized. 


/.  1/  i)friitission  of\ 


IT/ie  yational  Hailicays  of  Me.cico. 
THE    RUINS    OF    MITLA. 
The  Hall  of  the  Monoliths  in  the  Palace    of   the   Columns  is  so  called  on  account  of  the 
six  great  pillars  (of  which  five  can  be  seen    here)   placed  at  intervals  down   the  centre  of  the 
Hall.     This  ruin  affords  the  most  accurate  details  of   any  of   the  dwellings  of   the  long  since 


By  permission  o/} 


{The  National  Kailways  of  Mexico. 


THE     RUINS    OF    MITLA 


Two  views  of  the  principal  (acade  o(  the  Palace  of  Columns,  the  most  complete  ruin  in  Mitla.  This  small  town  possesses  the 
finest  of  any  of  the  Toltec  ruins  in  Mexico,  and  demonstrates  the  reason  tor  the  employment  of  the  word  "  Toltec "  by  the 
Mexicans  of  to-day  in  its  meaning  of  "a  good  architect  ^ 


520 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


;v^-w**t»«^>« 


The  name  of  the  Park 
was  derived  from  the  Hteral 
translation  of  the  words 
"  Roche  Jaune,"  or  "  Pierre 
Jaune,"  whicli  was  the  title 
given  by  the  French  trappers, 
to  this  district.  These  men 
probably  handed  down  in  this 
way  the  older  Indian  name 
for  the  place,  and  it  is  a  good 
name  too,  for  the  stone  walls 
of  this  caiion  are  of  a  vivid 
yellow  colour.  The  Park  is 
situated  in  the  north-west 
corner  of  the  State  of  Wyo- 
ming, on  the  eastern  side  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains. 

The  geysers  for  which 
the  Yellowstone  is  peculiarly 
famous  are  here  extremely 
numerous.  Often  the  cones 
that  are  formed  round  the 
apertures  of  these  springs  are 
of  the  most  beautiful  designs, 
which  are  but  inadequately 
described  when  they  are  com- 
pared to  rocky  flowers,  vege- 
tables or  sponges.  Many 
are  of  a  mineralized  silica, 
which  is  almost  as  hard  as  flint.  The  routine  of  a  geyser  is  not  without  interest.  At  first  there 
is  a  period  of  quiescence  ;  then,  after  the  temporary  rest,  there  is  a  gurgle,  and  high  into  the  air, 
perhaps  to  a  height  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  a  column  of  boiling  water  is  thrown.  When  the 
eruption  again  ceases,  there  is  usually  an  escape  of  steam  to  take  the  place  of  the  scalding  fountain. 

The  geysers  of  the  Yellowstone  National  Park  divide  themselves  naturally  into  sections  known 
as  basins,  such  as  the  Norris,  the  Lower,  and  the  Upper  Basins,  each  with  its  attractions  and 
fascinations  for  scientist  and  tourist  alike.  The  Norris  Basin  in  some  ways  is  less  interesting  than 
the  others,  but  is  to  a  certain  extent  compensated  in  being  one  of  the  first  sections  of  geysers  seen 
by  the  visitor  in  his  tour  of  inspection.  The  attention  of  the  traveller  is  divided  between  the  geysers 
and  hot  springs,  whose  waters,  almost  at  the  boiling-point,  are  coloured  by  the  metallic  suspended 
particles  and  deposited  on  the  crater's  edge  in  a  way  that  renders  their  appearance  indescribably 
beautiful.  If  this  scene  be  at  all  comparable,  it  can  only  be  likened  to  the  multi-coloured  tints  of 
some  rainbow  as  the  sun's  rays  are  split  up  by  the  mist  above  a  great  waterfall. 

The  Norris  Basin  was  named  after  Mr.  Philetus  W.  Norris,  who  was  in  1877  appointed  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Park,  and  who  was  the  first  to  explore  its  wonders,  although  it  had  been  discovered 
five  years  previously,  in  the  year  1872,  by  Mr.  E.  S.  Topping  and  Mr.  Dwight  Woodruff. 

The  greatest  geyser  of  this  formation  is  the  "  Valentine,"  which  discharges  a  column  of  water 
into  the  air  to  a  height  of  one  hundred  feet  at  intervals  of  about  an  hour.  The  uncertainty  of 
the  time  of  discharge  of  the  "  Valentine  "  is  well  atoned  for  by  the  "  Constant,"  whose  eruption 
takes  place  regularly  every  three  minutes  and  lasts  for  ten  seconds  ;   however,  in  this  case  the  water 


Bt/  perinission  of] 


[Thf  Snhi'mtl  Hmhcnys  of  Mccico. 
MITLA. 


THE     RUINS    OF 

One  of  the  carved  antechambers  of  the  Palace  of  Columns.  All  Toltec  carving  is 
geometrical,  but  nowhere  is  it  so  plentiful  as  at  Mitla.  This  is  probably  due  to  the  fact 
that  here  the  builders  found  a  yellowish  stone,  durable  yet  soft,  and  admirably  adapted 
for  working  upon. 


North  America 


521 


rises  to  a  height  of  only  ten  feet.     This  geyser  is  easily  seen  in  the  illustration,  as  is  also  the  "  Black 
Growler,"  a  steam  vent,  situated  close  beside  the  roadway. 

Even  better  known  than  the  geysers  are  the  hot  springs  in  the  Basin,  where  are  the  "  Arsenic," 
the  "  Congress,"  and  the  "  Pearl,"  each  distinctive  and  with  its  own  share  of  interest ;  then  there 
are  the  other  attractions,  which  for  the  sake  of  distinguishing  between  the  greater  and  the  lesser 
springs  must  be  described  as  "  pools,"  such  as  the  one  illustrated,  the  "  Devil's  Inkwell,"  or  else 
the  "  Emerald." 

TTie  Lotver  Basin,  YeLoTvstone  Park. — Much  has  been  said  about  the  wonders  of  the  Yellowstone 
National  Park,  but  there  is  much  still  to  say  ;  for  there  is  no  place  in  the  world  so  replete  with 
interest  as  this  huge  national  property  of  three  thousand  three  hundred  and  forty-eight  square 
miles.  Amongst  the  chief  of  these  wonders  must  be  placed  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin,  which  includes 
about  seven  hundred  known  hot  springs  and  a  score  of  geysers,  including  the  famous  Great 
Fountain.  Before  passing  to  this  splendid  geyser,  let  us  stop  first  at  the  Fountain,  for  although 
thrown  somewhat  in  the  shade  by  the  imposing  Great  Fountain,  it  is  of  itself  particularly  worthy  of 
our  attention.  Discharges  take  place  every  two  to  four  hours  and  make  a  splendid  spectacle,  for 
the  mingled  water  and  steam  issue  out  in  various  jets,  crossing  and  re-crossing  each  other,  spreading 
out  like  feathery  fans  in  every  direction  and  catching  the  light  at  various  angles.  In  this  way  the 
variety  and  beauty  of  the  outbursts  of  the  Fountain  Geyser  have  gained  for  it  the  deserved 
renown  of  being  the  loveliest  in  the  Park. 

But  if  the  Fountain  be  the  most  beautiful,  the  Great  Fountain  is  the  most  magnificent  of  the 
geysers.  It  is,  besides,  of  unusual  formation,  for  no  cone  or  mound  is  found  at  its  mouth,  but  only 
a  large  pool,  which,  when  the  geyser  is  at  rest,  represents  a  great  peaceful  spring.      The  discharge. 


Vboto  by  perm'LMon  o/] 


[77(f    Sii/.oit'il  lii'Jways  of  Mexico. 
THE     RUINS    OF     M.TLA. 

The  masonry  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  block  of  buildings  at  the  entrance  to  the  criiciform  underground  chami>:r.  Notice  the 
finely  carved  ornamentation:  probably  due  to  the  excellence  of  the  stone,  which  is  yellowish  in  cdIou".  and  although  soft  very 
durable. 


522 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


which  rises  to  a  height  of  about  one  hundred  feet,  takes  place  in  impulses  following  each  other 
in  rapid  succession  during  the  duration  ;  after  which  the  water  remains  quiet  for  another  eight  to 
twelve  hours,  till  the  gathered  strength  causes  another  display  of  wondrous  beauty — a  great 
fountain,  indeed,  and  one  erected  by  the  hand  of  Nature. 

The  Firehole,  a  hot  spring — one  of  the  seven  hundred  in  the  Basin^ — is  of  interest,  particularly 
for  the  illusion  which  it  contains.  There  appears  to  be  a  flame  at  the  bottom  of  the  clear  water 
contained  in  the  spring,  and  this,  rising  towards  the  surface,  seems  to  be  extinguished  just  before 
reaching  the  air.     The  peculiar  effect  is  produced  by  a  stream  of  gas  issuing  from  the  rocks  at  the 

bottom  and  rising  to  the 
surface. 

The  Mammoth  Paint 
Pots.  Before  leaving  the 
Lower  Basin,  we  must  re- 
member to  point  out  the 
famous  Paint  Pots,  or  Mud 
Puffs;  for,  besides  being 
remarkable  formations, 
they  possess  a  curious 
fascination.  There  are 
springs  of  various  colours 
— pink,  yellow,  red,  and  a 
variety  of  indescribable 
shades.  Look  down  into 
them  and  you  see  the 
tinctured  mud  puffing  out 
into  bubbles,  then  subsid- 
ing with  a  curious  "  ploff," 
and  forming  as  it  does  so 
rings  and  curves  which 
take  the  shape  of  flowers 
or  of  weird  creations  that 
baffle  the  imagination  to 
find  a  name  for  them, 
ere  they  are  lost  again 
in  the  mud.  Pattern  after 
pattern  is  formed,  and  it 
is  easy  to  forget  that 
time  is  passing  as  one 
watches  the  convolutions 
in  one  of  these  Paint 
Pots. 

Lake  Superior. — Lake  Superior,  though  remarkable  in  many  ways,  is  particularly  worthy  of 
note  on  account  of  its  vast  size,  for  it  can  boast  of  the  largest  expanse  of  fresh  water  in  the  world. 
The  supply  to  fill  this  immense  reservoir  is  drawn  from  two  hundred  rivers,  which  drain  an  area  of 
nearly  fifty  thousand  square  miles.  The  size  of  the  lake  can  be  better  appreciated  when  one 
remembers  that  Ireland  could  be  dropped  into  it  with  the  greatest  ease,  and  even  then  it  would  be 
an  island  sufficiently  distant  from  the  mainland  of  America  to  require  a  considerable  marine  service 
for  purposes  of  communication  with  the  continent.  Another  remarkable  fact  is  that  here  the 
inhabitants,  dwelling  in  the  very  centre  of  North  America — as  far  as  it  is  possible  for  man  to  be 


From  Stereo  copyri<jht  liy'\ 

THE    DEVIL'S    INKWELL, 


[Unili'i-imod  .t   Under  wood. 
YELLOWSTONE    PARK. 


One  of  the  best  known  of  the  mineral  hot  springs  in  the  Park.  The  sinter  formations 
round  the  edges  of  the  well  take  on  an  iridescent  colouring,  owing  to  the  presence  of 
mineral   substances  in  the  deposit  of  lime. 


524 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


GREAT 


\_H.  V.    White  C, 

YELLOW- 


distant  from  the  sea — can  welcome  west-bound 
ships  which  liave  made  their  way  under  their 
own  steam  through  the  heart  of  a  country  to  a 
township  distant  fifteen  hundred  miles  from  the 
Atlantic.  This  is  made  possible  by  the  chain 
of  lakes  which  form  part  of  the  boundary  be- 
tween Canada  and  the  United  States,  and 
together  constitute  the  greatest  series  of  fresh 
water  formations  in  the  world.  To  this  is  due 
their  collective  name  of  the  Great  Lakes. 

There  are  five  altogether — Lake  Ontario,  Lake 
Erie,  Lake  Huron,  Lake  Michigan  and  Lake 
Superior,  varying  in  size  from  Lake  Superior, 
which  has  a  surface  of  thirty-one  thousand  two- 
Imndred  square  miles,  to  Lake  Erie  (nine  thousand 
nine  Imndred  and  sixty  miles).  Various  rapids 
and  falls  occur  at  the  junctions  of  some  of  the 
lakes,  and  to  circumvent  these  a  number  of  canals 
liave  been  constructed,  such,  for  instance,  as  that 
at  Sault  Ste.  Marie— where  Lake  Superior  empties 
its  waters  into  Lake  Huron — or  the  Welland  Canal 
between  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario,  which  was  made 
for  the  purpose  of  avoiding  the  fall  of  three  hundred 
feet  between  the  two  bodies  of  water  represented 
by  the  Niagara  Falls  and  River.     The  waters  of  four 

of  the  great  lakes  are  forced  through  the  narrow  caiion  of    the  river  and  out  into  the  quiet  Lake 

Ontario,  where  passenger  and  freight  boats  ply  between  the  many  cities  which  have  arisen  on  the 

borders    of    this    inland    sea. 

The    last     series     of     locks — 

the  Lachine  Canal — bring  tlie 

vessels    to    Montreal    on    the 

St.    Lawrence    River.       From 

this  point  there  are  no  further 

obstructions     for    vessels     on 

their    way    to    and    from    the 

Atlantic. 

A  great  part  of  the  traffic 

is  connected  with    the    trans- 
port of  grain.     The  ships  used 

for   tliis   purpose    are    termed 

whale-backs,   and  the   title    is 

by    no    means    inappropriate, 

for    they    are    built    of    steel 

plates    in    the    shape    of    an 

elongated    egg,    and    bear    a 

striking     resemblance     to     a 

whale  without  a  tail. 

The  wheat  is  run  into  the 

holds  of  these  boats  from  the 


FOUNTAIN    GEYSER, 
STONE    PARK. 
The  outburst  of  water  often  rises  to  a  height  of   130  feet. 


^Stereo  hi/] 

THE     MAMMOTH     PAINT    FOTS. 

Th. 


YELLOWSTONE    PARK 


"Paint    Pots"  or  "Mud   Puffs"  are  r  group  of  mjd  springs  of  different 
colours  within  a  crater  40  feet  in  diameter. 


North  America 


525 


large  grain  elevators,  and  when  they  are  full  the  hatchways~are  closed  down  and  the  long  journey 
is  commenced. 

The  northern  shore  of  Lake  Superior  and  the  north  and  eastern  shores  of  Lake  Huron  are  broken 
up  into  many  hundreds  of  islands,  varying  in  size  from  insignificant  rocks  to  the  Island  of  Grand 
Manitoulin,  eighty  miles  long.  These  are  becoming  more  and  more  sought  after  as  sites  for  summer 
homes  by  the  dwellers  in  many  Canadian  and  United  States  cities.  Particularly  is  this  so  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Lake  Huron,  which  is  known  as  Georgian  Bay — ^now  one  of  the  most  popular  holiday 
districts  in  Ontario.  It  is  only  natural  that  on  such  large  bodies  of  water  as  are  contained  in 
these  lakes  there  should  be  storms.  These  are  most  prevalent  on  Lake  Superior,  where  the  waves 
are  sometimes  as  great  as  those  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Fogs  are  also  more  frequently  encountered 
on  this  than  on  the  other  great  lakes.      One  of  the  most  conspicuous  points  on  the  shores  of  Lake 


Photo  by']  .'■''- 

LAKE    SUPERIOR. 
This  laUe  can  boast  of  the  largest  expanse  of  fresh  water  in  the  world.     It  is  more  like  an  inland  sea,  subject  to  violent 

storms  and  dense  fogs. 

Superior  is  Thunder  Cape,  which  is  situated  to  the  north.  It  towers  to  a  height  of  two  thousand 
feet  above  the  water,  and  watches  like  a  silent  giant  the  passing  and  re-passing  of  the  wheat  vessels 
between  Fort  Wilham  and  Port  Arthur,  the  two  great  shipping  centres  of  the  Canadian  wheat  trade. 

Popocatepetl. — At  a  distance  of  about  fourteen  miles  south-east  of  Mexico  City,  near  the  town 
■of  Amecameca,  stands  the  volcano  of  Popocatepetl,  one  of  the  finest  mountains  in  Mexico.  The 
peak  is  more  than  seventeen  thousand  feet  in  height,  and  was  first  ascended  soon  after  the  discovery 
■of  the  country.  The  crater  is  over  half  a  mile  in  diameter,  and  has  a  great  depth,  although  authorities 
differ  as  to  precisely  how  deep  it  actually  is.  The  name  "  Popocatepetl "  means  "  smoking 
mountain,"  but  this  is  scarcely  correct  at  the  present  time,  as  smoke  is  seldom  seen  rising  from 
the  crater  now,  and  there  have  been  no  eruptions  for  many  years. 

The  lower  slopes  of  the  mountain  are  covered  with  forests,  although  at  the  crater  the  cone  is  snow- 
capped. Here  and  there  the  ice  is  divided  by  huge  deposits  of  sulphur.  As  the  snow  melts  much  of 
the  water  runs  down  the  inside  of  the  crater,  causing,  at  its  base,  the  formation  of  a  lake. 


526 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


At  the  foot  of  the  eastern  side  of  the  mountain  is  situated  a  great  bed  of  lava,  known  as  the 
"  Malpoys,"  the  bed  having  an  area  of  about  six  square  miles. 

Close  to  Popocatepetl,  and  connected  with  it  by  a  ridge  twelve  thousand  feet  high,  is  the  sister 
mountain  of  Ixtaccihuatl,  the  height  of  which  is  slightly  less  than  that  of  the  volcano. 

Silk  Cotton  Tree,  Bahama.  Islands, — Every  species  of  tree  or  shrub  has  its  own  distinctive 
shape  and  generic  characteristic,  but  thsre  are  few  which  possess  so  striking  a  form  as  the  Ceiba, 
or  silk  cotton  tree.  When  once  the  traveller  has  noticed  a  member  of  this  species,  he  is  not  likely  to 
have  any  difficulty  in  recognizing  other  specimens  of  the  same  family.  The  top  of  the  tree  spreads 
out  like  a  huge  umbrella,  and  the  branches  often  reach  to  over  a  hundred  feet  from  the  main  stem. 
The  trunk  itself  is  of  huge  girth,  but  it  is  the  peculiar  growth  of  the  immense  roots  that  is  the 
distinctive  feature  of  the  tree.     These  roots,  diverging  from  the  main  stem  long  before  they  strike 


Photo  hy  pet-mission  of~\ 

POPOCATEPETL. 
This  volcano  is  the  finest  in  Mexico,  rising   to  a   height   of  17.000   feet.     Its  name  signifies  "The  Smokin 

Popocatepetl  has  been  practically  quiescent  for  many  years. 


\^The  National  Railways  of  Mexico, 
Mountain,"  although 


into  the  ground,  form  great  buttresses  and  flank  the  tree  on  all  sides,  giving  to  the  Ceiba  the  charac- 
teristic appearance  of  unassailable  strength. 

Many  fine  specimens  of  this  tree  are  to  be  found  in  the  Bahama  Islands,  but  the  finest  and  most 
perfect  known  is  that  at  Nassau,  situated  behind  the  Post  Office.  It  is  said  to  have  originally  been 
brought  from  South  Carolina,  but  no  accurate  information  can  be  obtained  as  to  its  age  ;  never- 
theless, it  must  be  centuries  old,  for  a  sketch  of  the  tree  made  in  the  year  1802  might  be  a  picture 
of  it  as  it  stands  to-day,  so  little  has  the  passing  of  a  century  affected  its  appearance. 

Pods  grow  on  the  tree,  and  from  these  is  obtained  a  silk-like  substance,  which  may  be  used  as  a 
padding  or  stuffings  for  cushions,  etc.  This  was  the  material  that  gave  rise  to  the  peculiar  name 
by  which  the  tree  is  known. 

Totem  Poles  of  the  Indians. — North  America  is  less  noted  for  the  ruins  of  bygone  ages  which 
make  Europe  and  Asia  famous  ;  perhaps  it  is  because  the  abundance  of  natural  wonders  has  caused 
the  works  of  men's  hands  to  be  forgotten.     Mountains,  valleys,  gorges   and  rivers  render  the  less 


528 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


obtrusive  remains  of  Indian  life  unnoticed,  yet  in  the 
comparatively  few  relics  of  the  past  there  is  an  interest 
that  must  be  acknowledged  by  even  the  most  casual  of 
observers.  And  liere  in  the  North  tall  grotesque  carvings 
are  to  be  found  standing  on  the  bank  of  some  wide  river 
miles  away  from  any  Indian  liabitation,  a  silent  history- 
post  of  former  revels,  or  power,  or  death. 

All  through  the  West,  where  forests  grow  and  wood  is 
available,  wliere  Indian  tribes  have  lived  and  hunted  and 
fished,  we  find  these  totem  poles.  Sometimes  they  rise  to 
a  height  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  but  more  often  the  tops  are 
not  more  than  twenty  feet  above  the  ground.  In  few 
cases  is  the  colouring  well  preserved ;  sometimes  only  an 
indication  of  the  red,  yellow,  blue  or  black  is  to  be  found, 
or  else  even  this  may  have  disappeared  to  leave  just  the 
bare  carving,  much  weathered,  often  with  the  pattern 
scarcely  discernible. 

These  totem  poles  are  by  no  means  difficult  to  find,  for 
almost  every  city  on  the  Pacific  Coast  has  at  least  one 
good  specimen  close  by.  At  Seattle,  a  fine,  well-preserved 
totem  has  been  placed  as  a  pillar  in  one  of  the  small  parks 
in  the  heart  of  the 


Photo  i'«l  [/>;■.  U.   W.  Hhiifeldl. 

TOTEM     POLES.     FORT    WRANGELL. 
A    totem    atnongst    the    Indian     tribes    fulfils 
the    same     ofHce     as     a     crest     does    in     English 
custom. 


city,  while  in  Vic- 
toria, the  capital  of 
British  Colombia, 
the  Provincial  Gov- 
ernment has  pre- 
served a  splendid 
specimen  in  the  museum  of  the  Parliament  Buildings. 
Some  miles  north  of  Vancouver  up  the  coast  is  the 
small  Indian  town  of  Alert  Bay.  Here  many  totems  may 
be  seen,  and  also  some  that  have  been  painted  on  the 
more  modern  Indian  buildings.  These  are  executed  in 
brilliant  colours  that  at  once  attract  the  attention  of 
the  tourist,  as  the  boats  plying  between  Vancouver 
and  Prince  Rupert  stop  at  the  small  wharf  to  land 
supplies. 

Every  Indian  tribe  has  two  or  more  chief  crests,  ful- 
filling the  same  purpose  as  family  crests  in  Great  Britain ; 
these  chief  crests  are  again  divided  into  sub-crests.  Totem 
poles  which  are  made  up  of  various  crests  are  erected  to 
mark  notable  events,  as,  for  instance,  on  a  great  feast. 
It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  these  feasts  are  often  of 
several  days',  even  months',  duration,  and  are  the  occasion 
for  the  destruction  of  much  property  of  the  chief  of  the 
tribe,  in  order  that  he  may  prove  in  this  manner  his  pre- 
tensions to  wealth. 

There  are  two  portions  to  a  totem ;  the  upper  con- 
sisting of  the  chief's  crest,  with  sub-crests  of  his  ancestors 


From  sii'i-i'o  fopijriijhf  hy']        [Underwood  &  Underwood. 
TOTEM    AT    FORT    WRANGELL. 

These  mysterious  tribal  monuments  of  the 
old  Hydah  Indians  are  by  no  means  uncommon 
in  North  America 


North  America  529 

on  his  father's  and  mother's  side.  The  lower  portion  is  similar,  only  it  contains  the  crest  of  the 
chief's  wife,  with  the  sub-crests  of  her  parents. 

Frequently  totems  consist  of  large  tree-trunks  from  which  the  bark  lias  been  removed  and  the 
wood  then  carved  with  strange  yet  interesting  figures.  A  face  or  an  animal  is  most  often  depicted, 
or  yet  again  a  figure  which  may  be  said  to  resemble  neither  man  nor  beast,  or  sometimes  looking 
like  both.  Usually  a  person  will  not  kill  or  eat  the  animal  or  bird  (if  it  be  a  distinct  species  and  not 
an  invention),  that  he  has  as  his  totem,  though  this  is  not  a  strict  rule. 

Projections  from  the  tree  from  which  the  pole  has  been  made  are  quite  common.  Sometimes 
there  will  be  a  long  piece  of  wood  inserted  on  one  side  to  represent  a  nose,  or  else  on  the  top  may 


TOTEM  POLES.  ALERT  BAY.  ALASKA. 

Totemism  is  morj  than  a  custom:    it  is  a  creed,  a  moral  code,  by  which  all  tribal  intermarriage  is  regrulated.       Often  the  totems 

take   the  form  of  some  bird  or  animal  which   is  sacred  to  the  individual  or  tribe  to  whom  the  totem  belongs. 

be  fixed  a  great  figure  of  some  kind  ;  but  the  eagle  and  the  toad  are  the  greatest  favourites,  being 
rendered  in  many  sizes  and  colourings  and  styles,  but  seldom  lifelike,  recognizable,  or  in  anything 
approaching  correct  proportions.  In  one  case,  at  least,  a  cross-piece  has  been  added  to  the  top 
of  a  totem  and  a  pair  of  carved  toads  placed  one  at  each  end.  The  whale  is  occasionally  depicted, 
and  frequently  fishes. 

There  are  four  kinds  of  totems  in  use,  namely,  clan,  family,  sea  and  individual  totems,  and  all 
of  these  are  used  by  each  person.  The  clan  totem  is  that  of,  and  used  by,  the  whole  clan  and  is 
the  crest  of  the  largest  collection  of  people.  This  has  sub-divisions  known  as  family  totems,  which 
may  be  used  by  all  members  of  the  same  family.  Then  there  is  the  individual  totem,  which  is 
different  for  the  various  members  of  a  family,  and  is  usually  taken  from  some  bird  or  animal.  When 
the  young  Indian  retires  to  the  forest  and  there  starves  himself  for  many  days,  he  decides  on  what 

35 


530 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


is  to  be  his  totem,  and  this   is  usually  the  living  object  (not   human)  that   frequents  his  dreams 

most  often. 

There  are,  besides  the  above,  two  sex  totems  which  are  used  respectively  by  men  and  women. 
The  laws  of  intermarriage  are  very  strict  and  it  is  prohibited  that  members  of  the  same  clan 

should  marry.     With  some  tribes  the  breaking  of  this  law  has  meant  the  paying  of  the  penalty  of 

death. 

The  complete  totem  of  each  person  is  thus  composed  of  four  natural  objects  which  are  used  as  a 

mark  of  the  owner,  and  these 
are  painted  on  canoe-paddles 
and  other  possessions.  Fre- 
quently large  totems  are 
placed  in  front  of  the  dwell- 
ings as  a  sort  of  name-plate, 
a  somewhat  clumsy  method, 
perhaps,  although  it  has  the 
advantage  of  being  readily 
seen,  even  at  a  considerable 
distance. 

The  members  of  a  clan  con- 
sider themselves  very  closely 
related,  for  they  imagine 
that  they  have  descended 
in  some  way  from  the  animal 
that  they  use  as  their  clan 
totem. 

The  word  totem  was  taken 
originally  from  the  Ojibway 
language,  but  it  was  adopted 
by  the  English  and  has 
now  its  particular  significance 
throughout  the  whole  con- 
tinent, thougli  it  varies  in 
nearly  every  Indian  dialect. 

Another  use  of  totem  poles 
is  for  burying  the  common 
people,  whom  it  is  customary 
to  burn.  The  ashes  of  the 
deceased  are  placed  in  a  hole 
that  has  been  made  in  the 
base  of  the  pole. 

While  only  some  tribes  of 

Indians  burn  their  dead,  the  totem  yet  plays  an  important  part  when  the  dead  bodies  are  merely 

buried,  for  frequently  the  interment  takes  place  at  the  foot  of  a  totem  pole,  which  in  this  way  acts 

as  a  kind  of  tombstone. 

Ornamentation  by  means  of  these  grotesque  carvings  is  not  restricted  to  the  exterior  of  the 

Indian  dwellings,  for  in  many  cases,  in  Alaska  and  elsewhere,  very  fine  totem  decoration  is  observed. 

The  large  upright  pillars  which  support  the  ends  of  the  roofs  on  the  inside  frequently  are  carved 

with  the  particular  crest  of  the  occupant  of    the  house.      These    ornamentations  are  naturally 

better   preserved  than  those   exposed   to   the   fierce   ravages   of   the  elements,  but  the   colours 


Photo  copyri'jht  by']  lUiidertrood  A:  Underieood. 

A    TOTEM    IN    ALASKA. 

Totems  are  not  only  used  as  distinctive  marlts  of  individuals  or  tribes  ;  they  are 
also  erected  to  commemorate  great  feasts,  or  to  honour  the  departed.  This  particular 
totem  is  placed  over  the  tomb  of  a  medicine-man,  an  important  personage  among  his 
tribe. 


From  fVereo  cnpyririhl'hy]  [Undericood  <£•  Underuood. 

THE    LEAPING    CHASM.    WISCONSIN 
It  was  probably  the  resistless  force  of  a    glacier  that    chiselled   out  these    strangely  eroded  rocUs   in   the   Dalies    of  the  Wisconsin 
River.      Although    separate    from   the    main  rock    at  the   top,   the   base   of  this    curious  formation    is  connected    with  the    neighbouring 
cliff. 


532 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


though  consequently  retaining 
more  of  their  brilliance,  are 
less  visible  for  study  than 
those  in  the  outdoor  sunshine. 
A  rather  exceptional  pole 
is  found  in  Alaska,  where  a 
hole  has  been  cut  in  its  side 
near  the  top  and  in  it  inserted 
a  carved  figure  of  a  bear  with 
only  its  head  and  shoulders 
projecting ;  marks  have  been 
made  to  indicate  that  the 
bear  has  climbed  up  to  its 
snug  point  of  observation. 

The  greatest  quantity  and 
best  specimens  of  tolem  poles 
are  found  in  Alaska  and  on 
the  northern  coast  of  British 
Colombia.  Here  they  occur 
in  great  numbers  both  along 
the  sea  coast  and  on  the 
banks  of  many  of  the  rivers 
iiowing  into  the  Pacific.  They 
are  nearly  always  situated  on 
the  site  of  an  Indian  village 
or  at  some  point  with  promi- 
nent geographical  features,  as 
a  caiion  or  rapid. 

In  order  that  these  relics 
of  a  primitive  people  may 
be  understood  and  valued  ac- 
cordingly as  historic  evidence, 
it  should  be  pointed  out 
in  conclusion  that  totemism 
deals  in  particular  with 
rights  of  communication  be- 
tween the  members  of  tribes, 
and  formulates  rules  as  to 
who  may  and  who  may  not 
marry.  Totemism,  in  fact, 
brings  in  the  considerations 
of  the  laws  of  heredity  as 
crudely  understood  by  the  various  races.  The  social  and  religious  laws  introduced  in  totemism 
are  best  encountered  and  studied  in  connection  with  the  Red  Indians  of  North  America  and 
the  natives  of  Australia,  and  to  a  certain  extent  in  South  Africa. 

Leaping  Chasm,  Wisconsin  i?fwr.-The  Wisconsin  River  of  to-day  is  navigable  for  two  hundred 
miles,  yet  it  is  Uttle  more  than  a  stream  in  comparison  with  its  condition  of  existence  m  the  remoter 
ages  of  the  earth's  history,  when  what  are  now  the  famous  Dalles  of  the  Wisconsin  River  formed 
the  bed  of  a  mighty  river,  and  the  crests  of  the  sandstone  hills  that  now  rise  abruptly  out  of  the 


'|»v 


I'nim  fitereo  mpyriijlil  hi/']  \_Uni3erwood  ik  Underwood. 

THE    CAVES    OF    BELLAMAR.    CUBA. 
These  caves,   noted   for   their   stalactites    of    snowy    whiteness,  were    discovered   by   a 
Chinaman    when    searchin?    for   some    lost    tools.      They    have  not    yet   been   explored    to 
their    full    extent,    but    are    known    to    stretch    for    several    miles. 


North  America 


533 


surrounding  level  were  mere  islets  standing  out  against  the  flood.  Yet  water  was  not  the  factor 
that  scooped  out  this  valley  in  the  ancient  plateau.  The  rocks  themselves,  scoriated  and  marked 
as  they  are,  bear  witness  to  the  fact  that  the  formation  was  due  to  an  immense  glacier.  The 
irresistible  force  of  these  masses  of  packed  snow  broke  up  the  rocks,  carried  them  along,  and  used 
them  as  files  to  wear  away  a  path  in  the  soft  sandstone.  These  are  the  causes  that  went  to  the 
making  of  the  Leaping  Chasm,  which  is  a  notable  monument  of  Nature's  handiwork,  for,  isolated  as 
the  pillar  which  forms  one  side  of  the  chasm  appears  to  be,  it  is,  nevertheless,  connected  with  the 
main  rock  at  the  base. 

Some  idea  of  the  height  is  gained  from  a  comparison  of  the  size  of  the  man  in  the  picture  with 
the  total  height  from  the  valley  bed  to  the  crest  of  the  cliff. 

Betlamar  Caves,  Cuba. — About  two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  city  of  Matanzas,  in  Cuba, 
are  situated  the  Caves  of  Bellamar.  Their  fame  has  spread  abroad,  not  so  much  for  their  size — 
for  they  are  small  when  compared  with  the  Mammoth  Caves  of  Kentucky — as  for  their  great  delicacy, 
beauty  and  whiteness.  They  are  glistening  white  as  Carrara  marble.  At  present  they  have 
been  opened  to  a  distance  of  three  miles,  revealing  halls  and  passages  sparkling  with  the  hanging 
stalactites  and  the  stalagmites  which  rise  from  the  ground,  as  it  would  seem,  in  an  endeavour  to 
reach  them.  When,  sometimes,  these  stalactites  and  stalagmites  meet  and  thicken  out  to  form 
massive  pillars  joining  roof  and  ground,  it  requires  but  little  imagination  to  fancy  them  columns 
in  a  great  cathedral  crypt — the  work,  let  us  say,  of  some  Norman  artist-mason. 

The  largest  of  these  halls  is  the  Gothic  Temple,  which  measures  two  hundred  by  seventy  feet 
and  has  a  great  domed  ceiling. 

The  caves  extend  through  the  white  limestone  to  a  considerable  depth,  as  much  as  five  hundred 
feet  below  the  surface.     They  were  discovered  by  a  Chinaman,  who,  while  working  above  with  a 


IS!^; 


Photo  by"] 


IDoubleJay,  Paije  &  Co. 


THE    ASPHALT   LAKE.    TRINIDAD. 


An  apparently   limitless  supply   of  pitch   is   to   be   (ound  in   this   lake.      The  thick  viscous    substance    gradually  cools  as    it    gets 
farther  away   from   the    centie   lake,  till   at    the  edges  it   is  become  a  hard   stone-like   substance. 


534 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


crowbar,  suddenly  lost  his  tool  in  the  ground,  and  in  his  search  chanced  upon  these  hidden  treasure- 
halls  of  the  earth. 

Pitch  Lake  of  Trinidad. — The  island  of  Trinidad — next  to  Jamaica  the  most  important  in 
the  West  Indies — possesses  several  interesting  natural  objects,  but  the  one  to  which  most  attention 
is  turned  is  La  Brea,  the  great  Pitch  Lake.  This  lake,  besides  being  a  sight  for  tourists,  is  a  source 
of  considerable  revenue  to  the  Government,  who  receive  a  royalty  on  all  exported  asphalt.  Not 
only  is  the  lake  composed  chiefly  of  asphalt,  but  the  surrounding  country  also  seems  to  be  im- 
pregnated with  it.    Fortunately,  this  has  not  had  a  bad  effect  on  the  soil,  which  is  extremely  fertile. 

The  lake  itself  is  circular  in  shape  and  about  one  mile  across,  having  an  approximate  area  of 


Photo  by] 


[_Thf  Del  roil  Photographic  Co. 


THE    ASPHALT    LAKE.    TRINIDAD. 


A   certain   tax   is   levied  by   the    Government   on  every   ton  of   pitch  taken   out    of  the  lalcc.   which,   although  it   has  been 
exploited  for  several  years,   has  not   sunk  to  any  appreciable  degree. 

one  hundred  acres.  The  centre  is  an  almost  liquid  mass,  bubbling  and  viscous,  the  latter  increasing 
towards  the  edges,  where  the  pitch  is  almost  hard.  The  hot  sun  has  the  effect  of  somewhat  softening 
the  pitch,  so  that  anything  thrown  on  to  the  surface  readily  makes  an  impression.  This  surface  is 
very  uneven,  containing  many  small  hills  where  the  pitch  has  been  forced  up,  allowing  water  to  collect 
in  the  channels.  After  pitch  has  been  removed  from  the  lake  to  a  depth  of  about  a  foot,  the  soft, 
viscous  mass  below  rises  to  fill  the  hole,  and  again  the  surface  hardens. 

Attempts  have  been  made  to  calculate  the  quantity  of  asphalt  in  the  lake,  but  no  definite 
statement  can  be  made  on  the  point,  as  there  is  no  certainty  as  to  the  depth  to  which  the  pitch 
descends.  Although  the  industry  has  been  carried  on  for  some  years,  there  is  but  a  slight  alteration 
in  the  level  of  the  lake. 


536 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


There  is  an  interesting  natural  phenome- 
non to  be  seen  in  the  district  near  the 
lake.  The  road  to  La  Brea  has  been  con- 
structed on  a  bed  of  asphalt,  and  the  latter 
has  commenced  to  move  very  slowly  away 
from  the  lake,  mucli  in  the  same  way  as  a 
glacier  slides  down  a  mountain. 
^^^^  ^^^H-'  ''''^';^^^^H  Some  authorities  state  that  the  pitch  lake 

L^^V^^^^K,:.  ^'I^^^^l      ^"  Venezuela  is  far  more  extensive,   since  it 
I  ^B  ^^^^^  "^IS^^^I      ^'^^    about    ten    times    the   area,  but    it    is 
f  ^g    ^^^Ki^^lj^^^l      gs"ei"ally   thought    that   its   depth   is   by    no 
M  V     ^^^HHH^^^^H      nieans  as  great  as  that  of  La  Brea. 
■    m      ^^^HHf^^^R^^I  Rocky)  Mountains. — If   the  great  chain    of 

I  m      ^^P^l^  ,^^^1      mountains    which    extends    from   Alaska    to 

<^  'f      ^B       __^^^^^^^      Cape  Horn  were  divided  into  two  equal  parts, 

we  would  find  in  the  northern  part,  following 
the  Pacific  coast  of  North  America,  the  Rocky 
Mountains. 

These  mountain  ranges  are  the  back- 
bone, not  of  a  country,  but  of  a  continent ; 
they  enclose  world-famous  valleys  and  rivers  ; 
their  great  rugged  heights  are  fabulously 
rich  in  mineral  resources,  yet  they  are  scarcely 
ever  explored  ;  nothing  is  traversed,  unless, 
perhaps,  by  the  explorer  and  prospector, 
but  the  very  edges  of  these  ranges,  where 
the  hill-slopes  are  clothed  with  forests  of 
cedar  and  pine. 

Nevertheless  for  some  years  railways  have 

been  gradually  penetrating  further  into    the 

midst  of  the  mountains,  and  more  wonders  are 

being  exposed  to   the  view  of  the  traveller. 

Only  a  decade  or  so  back  the  world  in  general 

was  ignorant  of  these  hidden  beauties,  but  now 

each  succeeding  year  records  some  advance 

into  these  hitherto  inaccessible  regions. 

With  more  tlian  two  thousand  miles  of  mountains,  the  scenery  is  varied.      In  the  northern 

extremity  in  Alaska  there  is  the  land  of  glaciers,  a  realm  wholly  under  the  spell  of  ice  and  snow, 

which,  as  we  progress  further  north,  develops  into  a  country  subject  to  arctic  conditions,  for  the 

mountains  terminate  close  to  the  Arctic  Circle. 

As  if  forming  a  natural  contradiction  to  any  thought  of  perpetual  cold,  the  summer  brings  forth 
within  the  northern  cities  great  beds  of  flowers  of  most  brilliant  colourings  to  vie  with  and  even 
surpass  the  products  of  the  more  sheltered  valleys  of  the  soutli. 

The  Rocky  Mountains  abound  with  lakes,  some  large,  some  small,  some  high  up  the  mountain- 
side, others  in  the  valleys  below.   One  example  will  show  the  beauties  of  many. 

At  the  foot  of  a  great  glacier  lies  Lake  Louise  ;  and  in  its  deep,  unruffled  waters  are  mirrored 
the  beauties  of  surrounding  Nature,  high  peaks  tipped  with  snow,  brown  rocks  and  green  pine  forests 
blending  together  with  the  blue  sky  above. 

As  if  to  bring  outside~civilization  to  the  very  heart  of  this  wild  land  of  mountains,  the  traveller 


J'/iofo  by}  [Nat man  ti-  .Son. 

THE    TWIN    FALLS.    YOHO    VALLEY. 
One  of    the  most  beautiful  of  Ainerica's  falls,  set   in   the  midst 
of  a  scene  of  mountain  grandeur.      Notice  the  deep  channels  worn 
by  the  river  in  the  cliff. 


North   America 


537 


finds  that  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  lake  a  chalet  has  been  built,  and  here  he  can  gain  rest 
and  wonderment  over  and  above  sufficient  for  any  man's  desires. 

This  lake,  which,  year  by  year,  is  gaining  greater  fame  the  world  over  as  one  of  the  finest  gems 
to  be  found  in  a  continent  noted  for  grandeur  and  loveliness,  is  a  drive  of  but  a  few  miles  from 
the  town  of  Laggan,  in  Canada.  The  road  passes  through  one  of  the  wide  mountain  valleys 
and  terminates  at  the  lake  whose  mysterious  loveliness  and  magnetic  fascination  lie  not  in  one, 
but  many,  fine  views  over  the  expanse  of  water. 

Near  by  us  is  a  trail  up  the  side  of  a  mountain.  Up  and  up  the  path  rises,  revealing  in  its  progress 
scene  after  scene,  each  one  finer  than  the  one  before,  and  giving  promise  of  yet  another  spectacle, 
something  different,  more  vast  and  awe-inspiring,  a  scene  beyond  the  limits  of  a  man's 
expectations. 

Coming  out  at  last  some  hundreds  of  feet  above  Lake  Louise,  and  crossing  a  rock-strewn  path, 
we  stand  on  the  edge  of  another  lake,  smaller  and  entirely  different.  The  trees  have  all  vanished, 
and  here  we  are  confronted  with  what  resembles  a  huge  pool  resting  in  a  large  stone  basin,  rather 
than  a  lake. 

Turning  round,  the  scene  changes  from  a  picture  at  one's  very  feet  to  a  distant  panorama,  the 
reproduction  of  which  baffles  the  photographer  and  leaves  the  landscape-artist  to  meditate  on  the 
impossibihty  of  depicting  such  a  view.  There,  some  feet  lower  down  the  mountain-side,  is  another 
lake  surrounded  by  dark  green  trees,  and  yet  farther  away,  and  hundreds  of  feet  below  this,  again 

r     -      -    -  ■  ■  -  .  ■-     V  .      •  ^ 


Photo  by'\ 


[N.  P,  Kdwards, 


THE    EFFECTS    OF    AN    AVALANCHE 


In   a   land   where  deep  masses   of   snow  often   collect   above  the   wooded  zone   of  the  mountain  side,  such  phenomena  as  thlj 
are   not    unccn^mon;    but  the   destruction    of   forest  life  so  often  caused   by  an   avalanche   is  appalling. 


538 


The  Wonders   of  the  World 


Lake  Louise  is  seen  at  its  extremity ;  and  yonder, 
a  mere  speck  in  the  distance,  is  the  chalet  we  left 
such  a  sliort  time  before. 

Looking  up,  there  appears  to  be  a  line  of 
low  white  clouds  in  the  distant  heavens.  A 
second  glance  reveals  the  fact  that  it  is  the  snow- 
covered  crest  of  mountains,  not  of  some  other 
range,  but  on  the  opposite  side  of  this  great  valley, 
the  magnitude  of  which  was  not  appreciable  from 
our  low  station  on  the  shores  (now  far  below  us) 
of  Lake  Louise. 

Mount  Robson. — In  the  province  of  British 
Columbia,  near  the  Alberta  boundary,  and  not 
many  miles  from  the  source  of  the  Fraser  River, 
stands  Mount  Robson,  a  mountain  unknown 
until  a  few  years  ago.  For  long  ages  it  had 
been  lost  on  account  of  its  distance  from  civili- 
zation, but  now  that  the  steel  rails  of  the  new 
Grand  Trunk  Pacific  Railway  are  passing  right 
at  its  very  base,  the  lovers  of  Nature  are  brought 
into  touch  with  the  very  heart  of  unspoiled 
wonderland,     where    mountain,   glacier,    lake    and 


MOUNT     ROBSON. 
A   view  of  the   mountain   taken   at  close  range. 


in 


one      great      mass     of      wild 


stream      meet 
beauty. 

The  general  awakening  of  the  world  to  the 
beauties  of  Mount  Robson  was  soon  followed  by  the 
news  of  its  conquest  by  man.  On  August  13th, 
1909,  the  Rev.  G.  R.  B.  Kinney,  of  the  Alpine  Club 
of  Canada,  after  several  previous  failures,  succeeded 
in  reaching  the  peak  of  the  mountain.  Weather 
and  circumstances  did  not  permit  of  more  than  a 
few  moments'  glance  at  the  magnificent  panorama 
below,  for  the  explorer  and  his  party  were  almost 
at  once  surrounded  by  a  storm.  Short,  however, 
as  was  the  glimpse  of  the  Fraser  River  eleven 
thousand  feet  below,  it  was  one  worth  days  of  hard- 
ship and  weeks  of  delay.  There,  far  beneath 
them,  were  the  tops  of  mountains,  which,  from  the 
level  of  the  railway  tracks,  appeared  as  rocky 
towers  extending  up  into  the  very  clouds.  Now, 
looking  down  from  the  altitude  of  the  great  peak 
of  Mount  Robson,  they  appeared  as  islands  in 
a  sea  of  clouds,  and  the  mists  when  cleared  away, 
like  a  receding  tide,  disclosed  to  view  more  of  the 
rocky  structure  below  the  snow-capped  summits. 


Photo  by  permission  of]  IThf  Grand  Trunk  Pacific  naihmy. 

MOUNT     ROBSON. 

A.  glacier   on   the  east   side.      The  size  of   the  man   in  the   fore- 

eround   indicates   its   vastness. 


North   America 


539 


Crater  Lake. — Formed  in  the  crater  of  an  extinct  volcano  in  the  Oregon  National  Park  is  Crater 
Lake,  one  of  the  many  beautiful  and  wonderful  lakes  to  be  seen  in  the  Cascade  Range. 

The  lake  is  enclosed  by  a  steep  wall  of  rock,  the  height  varying  from  about  five  hundred  to  two 
thousand  feet,  with  but  few  openings.  It  is  about  iive  miles  across,  and  has  a  depth  of  two  thousand 
feet.     It  is  said  to  be  the  deepest  fresh-water  lake  on  the  North  American  continent. 

The  lake  itself  is  over  six  thousand  feet  above  sea-level,  and  is  of  an  ultramarine  colour. 
Originally  there  was  an  absence  of  hfe  in  the  water,  but  fish  have  recently  been  introduced.  The 
water  is  quite  fresh,  although  no  inlet  or  outlet  is  perceptible. 

In  the  centre  of  the  lake,  rising  like   some  great  cone  over  eight  hundred  feet  above  the  level 
of      the      water,      stands 
Wizard  Island. 

Coral  ReefSf  Bermuda. 
— ^The  Coral  Reefs  of 
Bermuda  are  particularly 
interesting,  on  account 
of  the  fact  that  they 
are  farther  from  the 
Equator  than  any  other 
reefs  of  comparatively 
recent  formation.  The 
amount  of  coral  in  the 
Atlantic  Ocean  is  small 
compared  with  that  in 
the  Pacific,  where  coral 
formations  surround  the 
many  islands  which  dot 
that  ocean. 

The  Bermudas  con- 
sist of  a  large  number 
of  islands,  but  only 
nine  are  inhabited,  the 
majority  being  but  coral 
reefs  with  a  small  area 
projecting  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.  Although 
the  formation  is  so 
rocky,  there  is  a  fertile 
deposit  on  the  surface  suitable  for  vegetation.  In  the  poorer  soil  a  proportion  of  coral 
sand  is  found. 

The  areas  of  the  islands  are  so  small  that  altogether  they  only  amount  to  twenty  square  miles. 
They  are  supported  by  a  mountain  resting  on  the  bed  of  the  ocean,  the  summit  of  which  is  below 
the  surface.  The  coral  formation  has  grown  around  the  mountain  until,  projecting  above  the 
surface,  islands  have  been  formed.  Most  of  these  are  shaped  like  rings,  with  lagoons  in  the  centre, 
the  reason  for  this  being  generally  attributed  to  the  more  rapid  growth  of  the  coral  on  the  outer  edge, 
as  this  is  the  first  part  to  reach  the  surface. 

The  islands  consist  of  brown  coral  sand  and  white  limestone,  surrounded  by  a  hving  coral  reef. 
The  minute  marine  animals  fasten  themselves  on  to  the  rocks,  and  then  absorb  lime  from  the  water. 
This  is  formed  into  their  skeletons,  on  which,  in  turn,  others  fasten  and  die.  In  this  way  the 
islands  of  the  Bermuda  have  slowly  come  into  being  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 


From  Stereo  copyriijhi  bt/}  {Underwood  &  Underwood. 

CRATER    LAKE,    OREGON. 
This  lake  lies  on  the  summit  of  the  Cascade  Mountains,  and  occupies  the  hollow  caused  by 
the  sinking  of  an  extinct  volcano.     It  is  2,000  feet  deep,  and  its  waters  are  of  a  pariicularly  deep 
clear  blue. 


540 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


The  Pyramid  of  the  Sun. — The  ruins  of  a  mighty  city  are  situated  thirty  miles  north  of  the  City 
of  Mexico,  on  the  Vera  Cruz  Railway.  They  are  all  that  is  left  of  Teotihuacan,  one  of  the  chief 
centres  of  Toltec  or  pre-Aztec  civilization. 

Various  conjectures  have  been  made  as  to  the  date  of  its  foundation,  some  ascribing  it  to  the 
time  of  the  Totonacs,  others  to  that  of  the  fourth  of  the  nine  mysterious  kings  of  the  Toltecs.     The 

foundations   of   this    ancient 


city  have 
of  twenty 
two  chief 
place,  the 
cated    to 


a  circumference 
miles,  and  the 
temples  of  the 
Pyramids  dedi- 
the     worship    of 


04«uWffwwaSf««AtfMV9:>«n«»V.v' 


Tonatiuh  and  Metztli,  the 
Sun  and  the  Moon,  are  still 
extant.  The  greater  of 
these  temples  is  that  of 
the  Sun,  which  stands  on 
a  base  six  hundred  and 
eighty  -  two  feet  square. 
It  is  in  the  form  of  a 
truncated  pyramid,  reaching 
to  a  height  of  one  hundred 
and  eighty  feet,  and  is  sup- 
posed originally  to  have  been 
surmounted  with  a  colossal 
stone  statue  of  the  Sun-God, 
whose  breast  was  covered 
with  a  plaque  of  polished 
gold.  This  gold  breastplate 
was  intended  to  catch  the 
first  rays  of  the  rising  sun, 
so  that  the  figure  should  shine 
out  in  awe-inspiring  splen- 
dour, a  worthy  representa- 
tion of  the  great  Tonatiuh. 

The  Pyramid  of  the 
Moon  is  somewhat  smaller, 
and  is  connected  with  that 
of  the  Sun  by  the  "  Path 
of  the  Dead."  On  either 
hand  of  this  route,  strewn 
thickly  over  the  plain  for 
an  area  of  about  nine 
miles,  are  the  tumuli  of  the  departed  ;  this,  perhaps,  was  the  reason  for  the  naming 
street   the   "  Path   of   the   Dead,"    although   it   is    not   improbable   that   the   name    was 

The  religion  of 


Photo  by'] 

THE    CORAL    ROCK 
The  whole  of  this  group  of  islands 
are   chiefly     of    the  "organ-pipe"  variety, 
life-work  of  many  scores  of  animaiculae. 


FORMATIONS.     BERMUDA, 
may  be  said  to  be  composed  of  coral, 
one  single  *'  stem  *'  of  which    is    the 


\_Iiau, 


The    rocks 
result  of    the 


square 

of    the 

derived  from  the  circumstance  that  here  was  the  road  for  all  religious  processions 

these  people  was  barbarous  in  the  extreme  ;    life  was  of  little  price,  and  thousands  of  victims  were 

slaughtered  annually  to  their  rapacious',  gods.     The  processions,   therefore,   invariably  consisted 

chiefly  of  unhappy  victims  doomed  to  an  inhuman  sacrifice,  and  to  these,  indeed,  as  well  as  to  those 

who  witnessed  the  progress,  this  road  was  a  "_Path  of  the  Dead." 


%, 


V"  ^  r:S 


Photos  by  permission  o/]  [7V(^  Mexican  liailicai/  Co. 

THE    PYRAMID    OF    THE    SUN. 
This  splendid  monument  of  the  Toltec    occupation  of    Mexico  was    erected  at  Teotihuacan  foi    the  worship  of  the    Sun.      On    it« 
summit   was    a    stone    figure   of    the   deity    with    a    golden    breast-plate,  intended    to    catch  the    first    rays    of    the    morning:    aun.      Like 
every  Toltec  tenriple.   it   was  the  scene  of  much   human  sacrifice. 


542 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


By  the  word  "  pyramid,"  the  reader  must  not  be  misled  into  thinking  that  the  formation  was 
similar  to  the  better-known  structures  of  ancient  Egypt.  Rather,  these  temples  were  a  series  of 
square  terraces,  one  on  the  top  of  the  other,  gradually  diminishing  in  size,  as  the  accompanying 
illustration  clearly  shows.  A  series  of  steps  in  the  centre  led  from  terrace  to  terrace  until  the 
final  pyramid  was  reached.  Here  were  the  stone  figures  of  the  gods  and  the  horrible  humped 
stone  of  sacrifice.  It  was  up  these  steps  that  the  victim  was  led,  sumptuously  arrayed, 
garlanded,  and  attended  by  a  noble  retinue.  On  the  humped  stone  he  was  stretched,  with  his 
bosom  bared  for  the  priest.  In  an  instant  the  sacrificial  knife  ripped  out  the  heart,  which, 
bleeding  and  palpitating,  was  offered  as  a  peace-offering  to  the  god.  The  body  of  the  victim  was 
then  hurried  away  to  be  eaten,  and  as  these  poor  unfortunates  were  generally  prisoners  of  war,  it 
was  the  captor  who  claimed  the  spoil. 

But  all  that  is  known  of  these  early  monuments  in  Mexico  is  slight  and  uncertain.  Of  accurate 
history  there  is  scarcely  a  record,  and  conjecture  has  to  fill  up  the  blanks  in  this  "  ancient  tale." 
The  result  is  that  there  are  many  unsolved  puzzles  in  Teotihuacan  ;    for  instance,  the  whole  of  the 


■-  i'lioio  by  pertHiuioii  of} 


IThe  Sphere. 


A    TYPICAL     ICEBERG     OFF    THE    LABRADOR    COAST. 


space  within  the  borders  of  the  city  was  overlaid  with  three  successive  layers  of  concrete  floors, 
for  what  reason  it  is  impossible  to  say  ;  again,  myriads  of  tiny  clay  heads,  some  of  which  are  clearly 
imitations  of  the  prevailing  types  of  natives,  have  been  turned  up  by  the  plough.  The  use  and 
significance  of  these  little  figures  have  never  been  ascertained.  Let  us  hope  that  before  long  a 
discovery  may  be  made  which  will  give  us  a  clue  to  the  meaning  of  these  mysteries. 

Icebergs  of  the  Arctic  Ocean. — The  iceberg  of  the  Arctic  Ocean  is  indeed  a  wonder,  and  one 
that  can  rank  with  the  very  few  natural  objects  that  are  untouched  by  the  hand  of  man,  and 
unspoiled  by  any  attempt  to  beautify.  In  its  journey  southward  from  the  cold  waters  of  the  Arctic 
seas  down  to  the  oceans  warmed  beneath  a  tropical  sun,  it  undergoes  a  process  of  constant  change  ; 
pieces  break  off  and  the  warmer  wate-s  and  air  cause  it  to  diminish  and  grow  feeble,  until  at  last 
it  dies  away,  returning  to  its  original  state  of  hmpid  water,  from  which  perhaps  it  will  some  day 
be  again  transformed  to  the  marble-like  beauty  of  an  iceberg  and  float  a  cathedral  of  whitest 
pinnacles  and  towers  on  the  dark  waters  of  mid-ocean.  It  is  impossible  to  say  of  an  iceberg  what 
is  often  said  by  the  traveller  of  the  temples  and  cathedrals  that  are  made  with  hands  :  "  I  shall  visit 
it  again,  and  in  a  fuller  manner  study  its  beauties  ;  "   for  no  anchor  chains  it  to  its  place,  it  has  the 


Photo  hy  permission  of'\ 


[The  Sphere. 


AN     ICEBERG     NEAR     ST.     JOHN 


Photo  hy  permission  ofl 


[The  Sphere. 


AN     ICEBERG     OFF     FRANCIS    STRAIT.     LABRADOR 


544 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


whole  sea  in  which  to  roam.  But  there  is  no  difficulty  in  saying  where  these  ever-changing  icebergs 
will  be  found,  if  visited  in  the  right  season.  A  trip  across  the  Atlantic  in  certain  months  will 
most  likely  reward  the  traveller  with  at  least  a  glimpse  of  some  magnificent  icebergs  when  off  the 
Newfoundland  and  Labrador  coasts.  Sometimes  they  resemble  a  seal  resting  on  a  mass  of  rock, 
and  at  other  times  a  great  white  bird  with  extending  wings  ;  or  yet  again,  an  arch  or  massive 
gateway,  a  castle  with  polished  walls  and  towers. 

These  bergs  are,  to  the  passer-by,  beautiful,  but  to  the  thoughtful  man  they  reveal  a  special 
wonder  as  he  considers  that  only  a  fraction  of  the  ice  is  above  water,  and  that  down  below  the 
surface  is  a  block,  a  veritable  foundation  for  the  structure  that  is  apparent. 

In  winter,  along  the  coast  of  Labrador,  are  found  great  floating   icefields,  brought  down  from 


Photo  hp  permission  of]  [T/ie  Sphere. 

A    LARGE     BERG    OFF    THE     NEWFOUNDLAND    COAST. 
Large   as   the  berg  appears  above  water,   it  must   be  remembered  that  four  times   its  apparent  mass   is   hidden   beneath   the    waves. 

the  north,  while  in  the  summer  much  of  the  coast  is  blocked  with  icebergs  of  vast  size  and  great 
beauty.  There  are  gaps  between  these  which  allow  the  fishing  vessels  to  pass  in  and  out  of  the 
numerous  harbours  along  the  coast. 

Ice  Grottos. — Amongst  the  many  beautiful  formations  of  ice,  mention  must  be  made  of  the  ice 
grottos.  These  are  formed  by  great  masses  of  packed  snow,  often  at  the  foot  of  a  glacier.  But  it 
is  not  so  much  the  formation  that  is  marvellous  as  the  effect  of  light  that  an  ice-cavern  produces. 
Anyone  who  has  entered  one  of  these  grottos  has  received  an  impression  lie  is  never  likely  to  forget. 
For  there  is  nothing  comparable  to  the  blue  light  that  fills  the  caves.  It  is  unearthly  in  its  depth 
and  brilliancy.  Sometimes  it  gives  place  to  the  vivid  green  of  the  cat's-eye  ;  but  always  it  is 
dazzling  and  bewildering,  and  when  the  traveller  emerges  once  again  into  the  white  light  of  day  he 
feels  that  he  has  just  passed  out  of  the  ante-chambers  of  the  skies. 


I 


{By  the  Photochrom  Co.,  Ltd.) 


THE    FALLS    OF    NIAGARA    IN    WINTER. 


The  Horseshoe  Falls  as  they  appear  from  the  Canadian  side,  when  winter  has  frozen   to  silence  its  mighty  rush  of 
waters,  and  transformed  the  spray  to  a  myriad  of  crystals  on  rock  and  tree. 


North   America 


545 


Niagara  Falls. — Long  regarded  as  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  modern  world,  Niagara  Falls  has  lost 
none  of  its  charm  and  supremacy  in  public  estimation  as  the  years  have  progressed.  It  is  more 
popular  to-day  than  ever,  and  its  number  of  visitors,  both  on  the  American  and  the  Canadian  sides, 
is  constantly  increasing,  many  of  whom  come  embued  with  the  spirit  expressed  by  Nathaniel 
Hawthorne  : 

"  Niagara  is  a  wonder  of  the  world,  and  not  the  less  wonderful  because  time  and  thought  must 
be  employed  in  comprehending  it.  Casting  aside  all  preconceived  notions,  and  preparation  to  be 
dire  struck  or  delighted,  the  beholder  must  stand  beside  it  in  the  simplicity  of  his  heart,  suffering  the 
mighty  scene  to  work  its  own  impression.  Night  after  night,  I  dreamed  of  it,  and  was  gladdened 
every  morning  by  the  consciousness  of  a  growing  capacity  to  enjoy  it." 

The  fact  that  geologists  and  other  scientists  have  written  learned  monographs  of  not  scores, 
but  hundreds,  of  pages  to  account  for  the  present  condition  of  the  Falls  should  deter  the  reader  from 
expecting  too  detailed  an  answer  to  all  the  questions  he  might  like  to  ask,  or  that  will  occur  to 
him.  One  of  the  most  careful  writers  has  thus  succinctly  stated  the  main  proposition,  however, 
which  gives  reasonably  satisfactory  explanations  : 

When  even  Time  was  young,  a  mighty  ice-cap,  mountains  thick,  covered  the  northern  part  of 
the  continent.  In  melting  along  its  southern  edge,  it  formed  the  body  of  water  which  has  since 
separated  itself  into  the  system  of  great  lakes  now  known  as  Ontario,  Erie,  Huron  and  Michigan.  The 
flood  of  waters  sought  outlets — naturally  toward  the  south — and  found  them,  first  through  the 
Mississippi  Valley  and  then  through  the  lowlands  of  the  Mohawk.  Later,  as  the  ice-caps  farther 
north  melted,  the  rushing  torrent  made 
a  path  St.  Lawrence  way.  When  the 
ice  had  finally  disappeared  and  the 
various  lakes  had  reached  their  level, 
Ontario  was  many  feet  below  Lake 
Erie,  and  the  two  were  separated  by 
a  great  watershed.  As  the  lakes  must 
have  a  sufficient  outlet,  the  waters 
wore  through  the  upper  part  of  the 
barrier  and  plunged  over  the  water- 
shed forming  what  is  now  the  Falls 
and  the  Niagara  River. 

But  all  this  was  centuries  ago,  and 
wise  men  tell  us  that  the  river  made 
its  first  great  leap  at  a  point  about 
where  we  find  Lewiston  and  Queenston. 
Time  and  the  swirling  waters  have 
worn  away  the  rocks  back  to  the 
present  location  of  the  cataract.  This 
wearing  away  process  has  done  curious 
things,  and  many  and  varied  are  the 
theories.  One  supposition  is  that  in 
its  rush  the  river  encountered  many 
islands.  Earthy  ones  could  not  with- 
stand the  force  and  gradually  dis- 
appeared, while  rocky  ledges  held  their  Hy  permission  o/-\  me  omano  aorenimem. 
Q^n                                                                                              TUNNEL    IN    A    ROCK    BORED    BY    THE     NIAGARA    RIVER. 

,.,,.,  .  •■  This    bore    is    situated   twelve   miles  below   the   piescnt   site  ot    the    Falls. 

An  illustration  shows  a  natural  ^^^  ^,^^^|^  ^^^^^^  ,^^^  ^^^  ^_^,_,^^^,  .^  ^.^j^^,,^  „,„;„,  ,  p,,h  .hrou.h  .he 
tunnel   bored    by   the   waters   of    the      rocky  plateau  of  its  higher  level. 

36 


546 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Niagara  and  twelve  miles  below  the  present  location  of  the  Falls,  clearly  showing  the  retrogression 
that  has  taken  place. 

It  is  reasonable  to  believe  that  there  was  once  an  island  similar  to  Goat  Island  at  the  "  parting 
of  the  ways  " — the  whirlpool  rapids  on  one  side,  and  on  the  other  the  deep  ravine  which  scientists 
say  was  the  old  bed  of  the  river.  The  theory  is  that  this  island  was  made  up  partly  of  soft  material 
and  partly  of  a  great  shaft  of  limestone.  In  time  the  former  was  washed  away,  and  after  a  while 
the  rocky  backbone  toppled  over,  blocking  the  path  of  the  waters,  sending  them  down  the  right- 
hand  way  and  thus  abandoning  the  original  course.  The  turbulent  stream,  meeting  with  the  rocky 
barrier,  was  thrown  back  on  one  side  and  whirled  about,  completely  washing  out  the  yielding 
material  which  has  left  the  huge  basin  of  limestone  where  the  left-hand  current  goes  round  and 
round  and  forms  the  great  cauldron  which  we  call  the  Whirlpool.  After  a  time  this  struggling  part 
of  the  stream  finds  a  way  out  of  the  maelstrom,  joins  the  right-hand  current  and  leaps  and  plunges 


Photo  by  permission  of'\ 


IThe  Sphere. 


NIAGARA    BY    NIGHT. 
This  pholograph  shows  the  wonderful  effect  obtained    by  the  illumination  ot    the   Falls  by  night. 

along.  It  is  also  supposed  that  the  stream  carried  on  much  of  the  debris,  and  finding  another  rocky 
ledge  on  the  left,  deposited  there  the  shale-like  material,  making  the  point  of  lowlands  called  Foster's 
Flats,  which  is  a  short  distance  below  the  Whirlpool.  Here  the  river  found  a  course  with  greater 
difftculty,  but  the  mad  waves  have  succeeded  in  dashing  through  the  Gorge,  the  narrowest  part  of 
the  seven-mile  path  which  Niagara  has  taken  thirty-five  thousand  years  to  wear  away.  Gradually 
the  bed  widens  and  the  pent-up  torrents  leap  as  highly  and  plunge  as  deeply,  but  withal  more 
joyously,  until  broadening  out  at  Lewiston  on  the  right  and  Queenston  on  the  left,  they  present 
a  calm  surface  whose  little  eddies  look  like  dimples  in  a  smiling  face. 

But  it  is  not  with  the  history  of  the  Niagara  region  that  these  pages  must  principally  deal.  The 
scenic  features  are  those  that  attract  our  attention.  He  who  sees  Niagara  from  one  view-point  must 
not  think  he  has  thereby  exhausted  the  scene.  Nay,  he  has  but  begun  what  should  be  a  perpetual 
deUght.  Naturally  there  are  certain  specific  places  from  which  the  photographs  have  been  taken  that 
have  familiarized  the  world  with  definite  views  of  the  great  cataract,  but  these  should  be  considered 
as  but  starting-points  for  personal  explorations  which  shall  discover  new,  startling,  delightful  and 


548 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


thrilling  aspects.  The  view  from  Prospect  Park  is 
entirely  different  from  that  of  the  Canadian  side. 
Goat  Island  divides  the  Falls  into  two  great  divisions 
— the  Horseshoe  Falls  and  the  American  Falls.  The 
former  is  by  far  the  more  majestic,  grand  and  scenic. 
The  curve  of  the  rock  over  which  the  water  descends 
gives  a  charm  to  it  that  is  lost  in  the  simpler  and 
more  uniform  flow  of  the  American  Fall.  Yet  if 
one  could  see  but  the  latter  he  would  go  away 
overwhelmed  with  the  conception  of  its  tremendous 
beauty. 

The  bridge  from  the  mainland  to  Goat  Island 
affords  one  the  opportunity  of  standing  close  to  the 
lip,  or  edge,  of  the  Fall  in  a  variety  of  places,  and 
there  the  stun  and  roar  of  it  almost  overwhelm  the 
senses. 

But  to  the  generality  of  people,  however,  the  most 
thrilling  experience  is  to  ride  in  the  tiny  steamer, 
The  Maid  of  the  Mist,  and  come  close  to  the  boiling 
waters  at  the  foot  of  the  Fall.  The  passengers  are 
taken  aboard  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  and  then  the 
brave  little  steamer,  bobbing  up  and  down  like  a  cork, 
now  and  again  swathed  in  mist  and  spray  made 
brilliantly  opalescent  by  the  rays  of  the  sun,  ploughs 
her  way  through  the  seething  and  pouring  waters  to- 
wards the  Falls.  The  ears  are  deafened  and  the  senses 
awed   into    forgetfulness   of   everything   else    by    the 

powerful   majesty  of  it  all,  and  the  human  mind 

is,    indeed,    insensible   to  outward  impressions  if 

it  can  experience  this  trip  without  deep  emotion. 
It  is  in  winter,  however,  when  the  wizardry  of 

the  touches  of   King  Frost  is  seen  on  every  hand 

that  one  appreciates  anew  the  powers  of  Nature 

to  produce  the  delicate  and  beautiful. 

Imagine,  if  you  can,  the  most  dehcate  twigs, 

shrubs,    bushes    and   great   trees,  big   rocks   and 

shapely   raihngs,  all    hewn    from    purest    marble. 

Conceive  of  the  beauty  and  whiteness,  and  finish 

them  with  the  most  clever  touches  that  a  hand 

more  skilled  than  man's  is  able  to  give  to  them. 

Picture  this  all  in  reahty  ;     and,    over    all,    the 

smothered  roar  of  the  cataract,  as  though  angered 

at  the  apparent  effort  of  winter's  grasp  to  make  it 

prisoner.     Each  day  the  superb  whiteness  is  re- 
newed in  all  its  purity,  and  thus,  while  it  lasts, 

the  spectacle  is  one  of  dazzHng  beauty.       In  fact, 

Niagara  in  winter  is  fairyland's  very  self.  ''''"" •'«"■«<'  copyright  by-^  [//.  c.  wnue co. 

T      ,  •  ,,  J  f ^    ™  T  .,1,^  JTr-;^  o  i-r-^  HORSESHOE     FALLS.     NIAGARA. 

In  time  there  comes  down  from  Lake  brie  a  tre-      ^,       ,        ,  ,     , 

These    rorm  the    most    majestic    rush    or    waters    or    any    part 

mendous  floe  of  ice.     It  covers  the  Upper  Niagara,  of  the  Fails. 


Ffom  stereo  copyn<jht  hy'\  \^Umiertcood  d:  l/ndei-uood. 

THE    KING    OF    ICICLES,    NIAGARA. 

One    of    the  immense    icicUs    that   hang    ovei    the    rocky 
ledge  of  the  Niagara  cliff 


North   America 


549 


from  the  Falls  to  the  lake,  and.  plunging  over  the  precipice  into  the  gorge,  lodges  in  the  eddies  close 
by,  soon  forming  a  bridge  over  the  rapid-running  stream  with  its  small  pieces  of  ice.  These  pieces 
are  caught  in  a  jam  by  the  rushing  waters,  and  before  many  hours  venturesome  humanity  is 
speeding  across  it  from  shore  to  shore,  from  country  to  country.  The  Niagara  ice-bridge  is  a 
mystifying  structure,  and  it  is  diihcult  to  understand  how  tiny  particles  of  ice  can  form 
a  bridge  of  such  wonderful  strength  over  a  roaring  river  like  the  Niagara.  The  bridges 
are  not  formed  by  the  stream  freezing  over,  but  rather  by  the  ice  flakes  that  are  tossed  up 
in  the  air  and  then  held  in  suspension  on  the  surface  of  the  river,  which  rushes  along 
at  its  customary  flow  below.  Deep  crevices  form  in  the  bridge,  each  one  reveaHng  the  mar- 
vellous creation  of  the  mass,  for  one  may  look  far  down  into  them  and  not  see  any  water.  But 
as  one  walks  to  and  fro  he  soon  discovers  why  this  ice  mass  is  called  a  bridge.  It  really  is  a 
bridge,  for  at  the  foot  of  the  Falls  the  water  is  seen  boiling,  bubbling,  seething,  roaring,  as  it  dashes 
underneath  where  the  sightseer  stands.  Then  a  quarter  of  a  mile  down  the  gorge  the  water  emerges 
again  from  under  the  ice-bridge  in  great  swirls  and  pools,  bringing  blocks  of  ice  along,  which  it 
dashes  down  towards  the  rapids  and  whirlpools  below.  When  it  is  evident  tliat  the  ice-bridge  is 
substantial,  many  rough  wooden  shanties  are  erected  on  its  surface,  between  the  two  shores,  and 
the  view  of  the  Falls  of  Niagara  from  the  centre  of  this  ice-bridge  is  one  never  to  be  forgotten. 
It  is  beyond  description  ! 


Photo  hy]  ["•  "■  ^'"<'- 

NIAGARA.    THE    HORSESHOE    FALLS    IN    WINTER. 
For  many  weeks  a  wide  stretch  of  these  Falls  is  {rozen  over,  and  myriads  of  icicles  hang  over  the  precipice.     Day  after  day  the 
glacial    beauty    of    the  congealed    sprjy    covers    rock    and    tree,    and  this    white    silence    is    broken    only    by    the    smothered    roar    of 
the  cataract. 


550 


The   Wonders   of   the  World 


No  fairy-tale  ever  described  more  exquisite  and  delicate  beauty.  The  spray  fills  the  air,  as  in 
summer,  but  is  immediately  crystaUized  into  ice  on  twigs,  limbs  and  tree-trunks,  until  they  seem 
to  be  living  things  made  of  ice.  When  the  sun  shines  they  become  trees  of  diamonds,  opals, 
garnets,  gems  of  every  colour,  tint  and  shade,  shot  with  living  fire  that  dances  and  scintillates 
as  the  wind  makes  the  branches  move.  Rainbows  are  scattered  here  and  there,  as  if  in  a 
tangled  heap,  and  all  the  colours  of  flowers,  sunrises  and  sunsets  are  mingled  and  interwoven  in 
rich  and  glowing  splendour.  The  trees  give  forth  strange  and  peculiar  sounds,  sometimes  cracking 
like  the  firing  of  pistols,  again  squeaking,  creaking  and  scraping  as  the  ice  is  rubbed  by  the 
movements  caused  by  the  wind. 

Icicles  form  on  every  hand,  and  some  of  these  are  a  hundred  or  more  feet  high.  The  "  king 
of  the  icicles  "  is  the  one  that  forms  where  the  rocks  overhang  and  there  is  a  large  space  between 
the  rock  above  and  the  floor  beneath.  It  is  of  a  unique  and  strange  style  of  architecture  never 
dreamed  of  by  man  ;  fretted,  ribbed,  tooled,  embossed,  with  offshoots,  long  and  short,  pointed 
and  stubby,  pure  white,  creamy  yellow,  or  water  crystal,  but  all  uniting  to  make  that  one  fantastic 
and  peculiar  Moorish,  Persian,  Arabian  and  Gothic  pillar,  plus  elements  foreign  and  strange  to  all 
these  styles,  and  yet  harmonizing  in  the  one  vivid,  bizarre  and  beautiful  column  that  Nature  offers 
as  a  sample  of  her  individualistic  powers. 

How  the  snow  and  icicles  change  their  appearance  !  Here  and  there  the  black  of  a  tree-trunk 
still  exposed  gives  vivid  contrast,  and  the  blue,  green  and  black  water,  ever  pouring,  ever  moving 
towards  the  lip  of  the  Falls,  with  its  rising  spray,  adds  living  charm  to  the  picture. 

Perhaps  the  most  wonderful  view  of  all  the  Falls  afford  is  to  see  it  from  the  rear  in  the  Cave 
of  the  Winds.  To  enter  this  cave,  one  crosses  to  Goat  Island  to  the  dressing-house,  where  one 
exchanges  his  ordinary  clothing  for  a  special  suit.  Then,  in  company  with  a  guide,  he  circles  down 
the  cliff  by  a  small,  winding  staircase,  occasionally  losing  his  breath  as  the  spray  dashes  over  him. 
until  he  emerges  upon  a  ledge  of  rock,  with  the  dark  green  waters  of  the  river  below  and  a  vertical 


Fholo  by']  il'he  Detroit  Photographic  Co. 

THE    WHIRLPOOL    RAPIDS.    NIAGARA. 

A  hard  shaft  of  limestone  has  turned  the  flow  of  the  river  from  its  straight  course,  and  has  caused  the  swirling  waters,   as 

they  flow  downwards,  to  curve  out  a  sharp  bend  to  the  right. 


Fhoto  i/y] 


IThe  Delroil  Pliotographic  Co 
THE    HORSESHOE    FALLS,    NIAGARA. 
ThisLphotograph  of  these  tremendous  Falls  is  taken  from  the  foot  of  the  Stairway 


552 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Photo  by'i 


THE     PETRIFIED     FOREST    OF     ARIZONA. 


iVmirricooil  <(■  Undericood. 


Over  ten  square  miles  of  country  is  covered  with  these  fallen  trees  and  stumps,   which,   in  the   course  of  ages  of 

petrifaction,   have  become  solid  masses  of  stone. 

wall  of  granite  towering  above.  Another  score  of  steps  brings  him  in  front  of  the  sheet  of  water 
which  curtains  the  cave.  It  is  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height,  and  as  much  in  breadth, 
and  descends  between  Goat  and  Luna  Islands.  It  is  well  that  the  new-comer  generally  is  in  ignorance 
as  to  the  sensations  he  will  experience  as  he  enters  the  cave.  Standing  there  and  looking  in,  he 
observes  a  patch  of  blue  sky  at  the  further  side,  and  all  the  space  between  is  one  mass  of  criss- 
crossing blasts  of  sleet,  shooting  like  frightened  comets  hither  and  thither,  as  if  in  wild  terror. 
Taking  a  few  steps  forward,  the  battery  of  the  Fall  seems  to  have  descended  upon  his  head — yet  it 
is  merely  a  few  drops,  comparatively  speaking — and  for  some  moments  Terror  grips  the  throat.  Then 
Beauty  asserts  her  power  to  charm,  in  spite  of  discomfort  and  fear ;  for  immediately  around  his  feet 
rainbows  form — one,  a  great  circle,  through  which  he  descends  to  the  rocks  beneath.  Everything 
seems  black  and  forbidding.  The  rocks  are  shppery,  and  he  clings  desperately  with  hands  and  toes 
wherever  he  can.  Half  blinded,  quite  deafened,  gasping  for  breath,  he  wishes  he  hadn't  come  ; 
and  then  all  at  once  the  curving  inner  surface  of  the  falling  water  attracts  the  eye,  the  sun 
making  it  half  translucent  and  filling  it  with  fire  and  shifting  rainbow- colours.  Ah  !  how  grand, 
and  at  the  same  time  how  beautiful  !  Now  he  looks  around  and  sees  the  black-terraced  rocks, 
bathed  in  sleet,  of  which  the  cave  is  formed.  Then,  as  full  courage  returns,  he  walks  fearlessly  to 
the  Fall,  even  into  the  water  itself,  for  there  is  no  danger  of  being  "  sucked  in,"  the  rebound 
driving  him  the  other  way.  Here  are  sensations  and  emotions  never  dreamed  of  before.  The 
deluge  is  occurring  before  his  eyes  and  he  is  a  fascinated  prisoner. 

The  real  delight  of  this  trip,  however,  is  experienced  on  leaving  the  Cave  on  the  rocks  in  front 
of  the  Falls.  Here  are  rainbows,  half  rainbows,  quarter  rainbows,  literally  at  your  fingers'  ends, 
"  around  your  head,  bathing  your  feet,  and  the  pot  of  gold  has  become  a  cauldron  of  molten  silver, 
foaming  and  rushing  about  your  knees,  and  tugging  at  you  with  an  invitation  that  is  irresistible." 


North  America 


553 


By  far  the  best  way  to  see  the  river  below,  the  Gorge  and  the  Whirlpool  with  its  Rapids, 
is  to  take  the  round  trip  ride  on  the  electric  railway.  It  is  a  two  hours'  trip,  every  moment 
of  which  is  full  of  interest  and  fascination.  The  rapids  above  the  Upper  Whirlpool  are  the  chief 
feature  of  the  lower  Niagara.  They  are  far  wilder,  more  turbulent,  more  dominating  than  those 
above  the  Falls.  Take  a  stop-over  from  the  car  and  descend  to  the  rocks  overlooking  the  seething, 
boiling  mass,  and  sit  down.  As  you  watch  the  leaping  tongues  of  white-lipped  water  soaring  high 
into  the  air,  you  will  recall  those  lines  of  Matthew  Arnold  : 

"  Now  the  wild  white  horses  play 
Champ  and  chafe  and  toss  the  spray." 

Then  suddenly  the  roar  and  rage  ceases  as  the  waters  enter  the  Whirlpool.  Here  is  a  calmness, 
a  dignity,  a  solemnity  that  awes  the  beholder.  The  excitement  of  the  Rapids  is  gone.  This  brings 
a  sense  of  stately  restfulness  over  the  feelings,  just  as  one  might  experience  in  suddenly  leaving  a 
mercurial  Spanish  dancer,  leaping  high  in  air  and  striking  her  castanets  or  tambourine,  and  being 
ushered  into  the  presence  of  a  tragedy  queen.  The  whole  river  is  caught  in  a  circular  trap  of  massive 
rock.  It  is  a  circle  without  an  outlet.  Yet  it  is  no  seething  maelstrom  of  maddened  waters, 
furiously  raging  at  their  confinement.  No  !  it  is  as  if  the  great  prisoner  had  calmly  accepted  his 
imprisonment  and  deliberately  settled  down  with  kingly  dignity  to  circle  his  allotted  treadmill  task. 
How  strong  it  is  ;  how  majestic  ;  how  fascinating  ;  how  suggestive  !  To  me  the  Whirlpool  is  the 
outward  manifestation  of  the  steady,  calm,  resistless  power  within  the  soul  of  a  strong  man  that 
keeps  him  at  a  thankless  task  because  it  should  and  must  be  done. 


Fmm  Slei-eo  copyright  by]  [UndericooA  <f  Underwood. 

LOOKING    ACROSS    A    DESERT    OF    THE    PETRIFIED    FOREST    OF    ARIZONA. 

Hundreds  of  thousands  of  these  remains  of  trees  arc  scattered  over  this  desert,  which  is  composed  of  sand.  clay,  and  volcanic  ash. 

Certain  portions  of  the  trees  have  changed  in  the  course  of  mineralization  to  chalcedony  and  agate  and  onyx. 


554 


The  Wonders   of  the  World 


Photo  }iy^  {^The  Detroit  J'hototjraphic  Co. 

THE    BRIDGE.    PETRIFIED    FOREST,    ARIZONA. 

This   tree-trunk    lies    across  a   canyon   and  is  the    completest    fossil    in    the    forest,    measuring    III    feet.       It    should    be    observed    that 

it  has  no  branches,  and  this  peculiarity,   noticeable  in  all  the  rennains.   has  given  rise  to  much  speculation  amongst   scientists. 

From  every  standpoint — scenic,  geologic,  scientific — Niagara  is  interesting  and  alluring,  and  no 
traveller  can  be  deemed  "  educated  "  until  he  has  beheld  it,  studied  it,  and  in  a  greater  or  less 
degree,  come  under  its  spell. 

The  Petrified  Forest  of  Arizona.. — The  Petrified  Forest  is  certainly  one  of  the  "  wonders  of  the 
world."  It  is  an  area  over  ten  miles  square,  covered  with  fallen  trees,  generally  broken  into 
somewhat  irregular  lengths,  scattered  in  all  conceivable  positions,  and  in  fragments  of  all  sizes, 
the  sections  varying  from  two  to  twenty  feet  long,  and  in  some  places  piled  up  and  looking  almost 
Hke  a  lot  of  children's  cart-wheels  jumbled  up  together. 

This  Petrified  Forest  area  is  about  twenty  miles  from  Holbrook,  Apache  County,  Arizona,  and 
while  it  is  all  one  area,  it  is  naturally  subdivided  into  five  parts,  commonly  known  as  the  "  Petrified 
Forest,"  "  Chalcedony  Park  "  and  "  Lithodendron  (stone  trees)  Valley,"  the  Blue  Forest  and 
North  Sigillaria  Forest.  The  further  we  go,  the  greater  the  quantity  of  specimens  found,  until  at 
last  we  are  surrounded  literally  by  millions  of  pieces.  Some  of  the  fossil  trees  are  well  preserved, 
and  of  these  the  exposed  part  will  measure  as  much  as  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred 
feet  in  length  and  from  two  to  four  and  a  half  feet  in  diameter.  The  roots  of  some  are  fully  ex- 
posed, and  the  diameter  of  these  portions  is  not  less  than  ten  or  twelve  feet. 

On  the  other  side  of  one  of  the  slopes  we  come  to  the  interesting  Petrified  Bridge.  This  consists 
of  a  great  petrified  tree-trunk  lying  across  a  canyon  and  forming  a  natural  foot-bridge  on  which 
men  may  easily  cross.  I  have  ridden  across  it  on  horseback.  This  bridge  is  on  the  north-east 
side  of  one  of  the  "  mesas  "  near  its  rim.  The  trunk  is  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation,  and 
is  complete  to  the  base,  where  it  is  partially  covered,  though  it  shows  clearly  the  manner  in  which 
the  roots  were  attached  while  the  tree  was  still  growing.      The  total  length  of  the  tree  that  is 


556 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


exposed  is  one  hundred  and  eleven 
feet,  and  as  the  canyon  across 
which  it  hes  measures,  at  this 
point,  exactly  forty-four  feet  be- 
tween the  points  on  which  the 
tree  rests,  more  than  sixty  feet  of 
the  upper  part  of  the  tree  lies  out 
upon  the  left  bank  of  the  canyon. 
At  about  the  middle  of  the  canyon 
the  tree  measures  ten  feet  in  cir- 
cumference, giving  a  diameter  of 
about  three  feet.  Its  diameter  at 
the  base  is  about  four  feet,  and 
at  the  extreme  summit  is  reduced 
to  about  eighteen  inches.  It  is 
possible  that  the  tree  when  grow- 
ing measured  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  feet  or  two  hundred 
feet  in  height. 

As  the  accompanying  photo- 
graph shows,  most  of  the  trees 
have  been  split  across  into  sections 
or  blocks.  There  are  four  of  these 
transverse  cracks  in  the  tree  of  the 
Petrified  Bridge. 

A  great  many  scientific  and  other 
writers  have  stated  that  there  are 
a  number  of  stumps  to  be  found 
standing  erect,  with  their  roots  in 
the  ground,  showing  that  they 
were  growing  and  were  buried  and 
petrified  on  the  spot.  But  those 
who,  like  myself,  have  rambled 
over  these  forest  areas  many  times  during  the  past  thirty  years  know  that  there  is  not  found 
a  single  tree-stump  so  situated. 

There  are  several  theories  propounded  as  to   how  this  Petrified  Forest  came  into  existence,  but 
this  is  the  theory  which  alone  seems  satisfactory  : 

Many,  many  millions  of  years  ago,  in  the  far-away  dim  ages  of  what  geologists  call  Triassic  and 
Mesozoic  times,  these  trees  grew,  just  as  trees  grow  in  our  forests  to-day.  Evidently  the  climatic 
conditions  were  such  in  those  far-away  early  days  as  to  be  highly  suitable  for  tree  growth,  or  these 
great  trees  could  never  have  attained  the  height  and  size  in  which  we  find  them.  Those  were  the 
days  in  which  the  world  was  in  the  process  of  making,  and  earthquakes,  uplifts,  and  subsidences 
of  the  earth's  surface  were  much  more  common  than  they  are  now,  since  the  crust  of  the  earth  has 
become  more  stable.  In  some  convulsion  of  Nature — possibly  a  great  tornado  or  flood — the  whole 
forest-area  where  these  trees  grew  was  flooded  to  such  an  extent  and  for  so  long  a  period  of  time 
that  the  roots  of  the  trees  rotted  and  allowed  the  trees  to  fall,  or  else  the  flood  was  so  tremendous 
in  force  that  it  washed  away  the  earth  around  the  tree-roots  and  tore  up  the  trees  themselves, 
floating  them  away  from  the  place  where  they  grew  to  this  region  where  we  now  find  them.  The 
reason  we  assume  they  were  thus  carried  away  from  the  place  where   they  originally  grew  is   the 


Pholo  ly]  [C.  C.  Pierce  <t  Co. 

THE    EAGLE-S    HEAD.    PETRIFIED    FOREST. 
One    of    the    strange    formations    to    be    found    in    the    "petrified"    area    of 
Arizona.     It  is  due   in  all    probability   to    the   volcanic    disturbances    that    at    one 
time  must  have  prevailed  in  this  region. 


North  America 


557 


fact  that    most  careful  searching  has  failed  to  find  few,  if   any,  branches   of   the   trees,  and   but 

very  few  of  the  cones  that  they  used  to  bear.     It  is    assumed,  therefore,  that  the  branches  were 

broken  off  by  the  turbulent  movements  of  the   flood,   and   that  when  the  damming  up  of  the 

course  of  the  stream  occurred,   which  located  the  trees  where  we   now   find   them,  the   lighter 

branches  and  cones  were  carried  away  on  the  surface  of  the  swirling  waters. 

It  seems  very  probable  that  all  the  trees,  lodged  in  a  place  where  they  could  not  escape,  were 

submerged     in    water    for    many    centuries.      The    land    surrounding    the    area    of   submergence 

undoubtedly   contained  many    minerals,    and    as    these    were    exposed    to    the    atmosphere    and 

disintegrated  and  rusted,  they 

coloured  the   water   in    which 

the    trees    were    lying.     It    is 

well  known  that  iron  rust   is 

a    deep    red ;      copper    gives 

brilliant  yellows  and   purples, 

while     other     minerals      give 

equally    vivid    and    beautiful 

colours.     Combined   with    the 

colour-giving     minerals      was 

a  good  deal  of  sihca,  or  lime, 

also  held   in    solution    in    the 

water.      By    the    exercise    of 

that    wonderful     law,     called 

capillary  attraction,  the  wood 

fibre,     as     it      decayed      and 

washed    away,  left    place    for 

the  water  charged   with   lime 

and  the  brilhant  colouring 
matters.  Day  by  day,  week  by 
week,  month  by  month,  year 
by  year,  century  by  century, 
the  process  of  change  from 
wood  fibre  to  sohd  stone, 
beautifully  coloured,  was 
going  on,  until  all  the  wood 
fibre  was  gone  and  nothing 
but  stone  left  in  its  place. 

In  the  meantime,  there 
were  great  volcanic  disturb- 
ances in  this  region,  and  vast 
quantities  of  volcanic  ash 
were  cast  out  over  the  whole 
area  of  this  forest,  until 
finally  the  trees  were  buried 
in  it  many  feet  deep.  Then, 
as  more  millions  of  years 
slowly  wore  away,  the  region 

•'  °  Pholo  by]  [The  Kevstone  View  Co. 

sank,    until   sandstones,  lime-  la  soufriere.  Guadeloupe. 

stones      more      sandstones      and  ^  view  of  La  Soufriere  when  looking   down   2,000  feet  into    its  crater      This    volcano 

is    situated    on    Basse    Terre.    the    western    side    of    the    island,    and   rises    to  a    height    of 
more    limestones,  were    washed  5,497  feet,     it  derives    its  name  of  "The  Sulphur  Mine"  from  its  pungent  sulphur  fumes. 


558 


The  Wonders   of  the  World 


over  the  area,  and  the  forest  was  buried,  some  scientists  say,  to  a  depth  of  over  twenty  thousand 
feet. 

Then  this  period  of  subsidence  was  arrested  and  reversed.  Mother  Nature  now  began  to  hft 
the  area  again  out  of  the  great  inland  sea  where  all  these  layers  of  sandstone  and  limestone  had 
slowly  been  accumulated  and  deposited,  and  the  Petrified  Forest  region  began  to  emerge  higher  and 
higher.  But  this  must  have  been  a  time  of  great  storms  and  atmospheric  conflicts,  for  little  by 
little  these  sandstones  and  limestones  that  had  so  slowly  and  patiently  accumulated  were 
disintegrated  and  carried  away,  probably  to  form  the  sands  of  the  Mohave  and  Colorado  deserts 
of  Southern  California.  Finally,  previous  to  our  own  historic  age,  this  process  of  disintegration 
and  washing  away  of  the  accumulated  strata  of  the  Petrified  Forest  region  was  arrested,  just  at  the 

exact  time  required  to  leave  these  trees 
exposed  to  man's  vision. 

The  Crater  or  La  Soufrfere,  St. 
Vincentf  British  West  Indies.  —  No 
picture  can  possibly  do  more  than 
give  the  faintest  conception  of  the 
interior  of  a  volcano.  It  would  require 
a  moving  picture,  with  native  colours, 
to  even  suggest  wi^th  adequate  fidelity 
that  which  arrests  the  eye,  almost 
paralyses  the  mind,  and  entirely  awes 
the  soul  of  a  man  when  for  the  first 
time  he  gazes  into  the  depths  of  an 
active  volcano. 

One  of  the  great  craters  of  the 
world  is  that  of  "La  Soufriere  " — the 
"  Sulphur  Mine  " — on  Saint  Vincent, 
one  of  the  islands  of  the  British  West 
Indies.  This  island  is  one  of  the 
Lesser  Antilles,  in  the  colony  of  the 
Windward  Islands,  and  is  about 
cwenty-five  miles  south  of  St.  Lucia. 
Though  it  is  only  seventeen  miles 
long  and  ten  miles  broad,  with  an 
area  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-two 
square  miles,  the  volcano  is  the 
summit  (at  about  four  thousand  and  fifty  feet  elevation)  of  a  lofty  ridge  that  reaches  from  north 
to  south. 

The  island  itself  is  highly  productive,  the  soil  being  rich  and  easily  worked  ;  sugar,  rum,  molasses, 
arrowroot,  cacao  and  spices  being  the  chief  products. 

The  crater  of  La  Soufriere  has  many  times  been  in  eruption,  notably  in  1718,  1812,  1814,  1880, 
and  May,  1902.  The  population  of  the  island  was  estimated,  just  prior  to  the  1902  eruption,  to 
be  about  forty-five  thousand,  of  whom  at  least  sixteen  hundred  lost  their  lives  in  that  dread 
outburst,  when  Mont  Pelee  erupted  and  slew  thirty  thousand  people  at  the  same  time,  completely 
wiping  out  of  existence  the  town  of  St.  Pierre.  Though  Pelee  was  far  more  destructive  to  human 
life  than  La  Soufriere,  the  latter,  as  a  volcano,  was  immeasurably  more  interesting,  and  also  much 
larger.  Dr.  J  agger,  who  made  the  ascent  of  both  craters,  declared  that  it  was  twice  the  size  of 
Pelee,  and  that  the  eruption  was  "  phenomenally  much  more  violent  than  the  eruption  of  Mont 
Pelee."     The  reason  less  lives  were  lost  was  owing  to  the  fact  that  there  was  no  populous  city  at 


Pholo  6»] 


IThe  Keystone  Vieic  Co. 
JUANACATLAN     FALLS,    MEXICO. 


These  Falls,  on  the  Lerma  River,  are  70  feet  high  and  600  feet  wide. 
The  waters  come  direct  from  Lake  Chapala  and  tumble  over  the  lip  of 
the  precipice  in  such  grand  confusion  that  they  have  been  termed  "  The 
Niagara  Falls  of   Mexico." 


'l■■^i*^'.y.■■''^s^■J 


™ 


■^ 


56o 


The  Wonders  of  the   World 


the  base  of  La  Soufriere  as  there  was 

at    Pelee.       When     Mont     Pelee    first 

showed    signs    of    activity    the    people 

were   unable    to    flee,    but  on    the    St. 

Vincent  island  the  people  were  able  to 

escape  ;  yet  even  then  sixteen  hundred 

r    ^r>s^  l^^^gt^K^  'W^^^^^^^^Mt     po<3r  wretches  perished  in  the  lava  and 

■■^Pj.  '*'  \m^^^Kl^^^m     ''°^    blasts   that    poured    their    death- 

^^  ''iWm^^mim     deahng  air  over  the  region. 

There  are  two  craters  at  La  Sou- 
friere, the  "old"  crater,  the  scene  of 
the  1902  eruption,  which  at  that  time 
had  a  diameter  of  four  thousand  one 
hundred  feet,  and  the  "new"  crater, 
to  the  north-west,  which  was  opened 
in   1812. 

It  is  a  terrible  experience  to  enter 
the  heart  of  an  active  crater,  and,  of 
course,  one  perils  his  life  in  so  doing. 
Yet  human  beings  are  daring  and 
adventurous  even  to  the  gates  of  death, 
and  many  vivid  accounts  have  been 
given  of  the  activity  of  craters  by  those 
who  have  thus  happened  to  witness 
their  demoniac  ebullitions. 

The  following  is  a  description  by 
Mr.  George  Kennan  of  the  clouds  and 
explosions  of  Mont  Pelee,  at  the  time 
La  Soufriere  was  in  active  eruption. 
Doubtless  the  description  of  the  one 
fully  answers  for  the  other  :  "  The  morning  of  May  8  (1902)  dawned  clear  ;  but  a  column  of  vapour 
was  rising  to  a  great  height  above  the  main  crater  of  Pelee,  and  ashes  were  falling  all  along  the  line 
of  the  coast  from  St.  Pierre  to  Precheur.  An  occasional  detonation  could  be  heard  in  the  direction 
of  the  mountain,  but  there  was  no  other  sign  of  forewarning  of  the  impending  catastrophe.  About 
eight  o'clock,  with  a  rending,  roaring  sound,  a  great  cloud  of  black  smoke  appeared  suddenly  on 
the  south-western  face  of  the  volcano  near  its  summit,  and  rushed  swiftly  down  in  the  direction  of 
St.  Pierre  as  if  it  were  smoke  from  the  discharge  of  a  colossal  piece  of  artillery.  There  was  no  sharp, 
thunderous  explosion  when  the  cloud  appeared,  nor  was  it  preceded  or  followed  by  an  outburst 
of  flame  ;  but  as  it  rolled  like  a  great  torrent  of  black  fog  down  the  mountain  slope  tliere  was  a 
continuous  roar  of  half-blended  staccato  beats  of  varying  intensity,  something  like  the  throbbing, 
pulsating  roar  of  a  Gatling-gun  battery  going  into  action.  The  time  occupied  by  the  descent  of 
this  volcanic  tornado-cloud  was  estimated  as  not  more  than  two  or  three  minutes  ;  and,  if  so,  it 
moved  with  a  velocity  of  between  ninety  and  a  hundred  and  forty  miles  an  hour.  It  struck  the 
western  end  of  Mount  Parnasse  about  half  a  mile  from  the  place  where  my  friend  was  standing ; 
swept  directly  over  St.  Pierre,  wrecking  and  setting  fire  to  the  buildings  as  it  passed,  and  then  went 
diagonally  out  to  sea,  scorching  the  cocoanut  palms  and  touching  with  an  invisible  torch  a  few 
inflammable  houses  at  the  extreme  northern  end  of  the  village  of  Carbet." 

TTie  JaanacatUn  Falls,  Mexico. — ^As  one  travels  from  El  Paso  to  the  City  of  Mexico  he  should 
not  fail,  when  at  the  city  of  Guadalajara  (pronounced  Wah-da-la-ha-ra)  to  go  out  to  El  Castillo, 


From  i^tereo  copyright  hy']  [Vmi^rtcood  &  l/nderirood. 

THE    CATACOMBS    OF    GUANAJUATO. 
Ab  long  as  a  yearly    fee    is  paid    the    bodies    of    the    dead    are    numbered 
and  registered  and  cared  for  in  this  way  ;     but    if    paytnent    is    discontinued 
the  bodies  are  cast  on  a  heap  of  bones  and  skulls. 


North   America 


561 


some  twenty-five  miles,  and  then  take  the  car  to  the  Juanacatlan  (pronounced  Wah-na-cat-lan) 

Falls,  which  are  commonly  termed  the  "  Niagara  Falls  of  Mexico."     They  are  on  the  Lerma  river, 

and  are  seventy  feet  high  and  six  hundred  feet  wide.     It  will  thus  be  seen  that  in  their  dimensions 

they  are  lesser  than  Niagara  ;  nor  do  they  possess  so  varied  and  picturesque  features,  either  in  the 

Falls  themselves  or  in  their  environment.     The  waters  are  clear,  fresh,  pure  and  sparkUng,  direct 

from  Lake  Chapala,  and  they  come  with'great  rush  and  roar  down    the    river,  here  dotted   into 

picturesqueness  with  several  small,   though  well-wooded    islands.      The    Falls    are    made    more 

interesting  by  the  irregularity  of  the  Hp  of    the  precipice  over  which  the  waters  tumble  into  the 

seething  pool  beneath.     Some  portions 

of   the    rock    rise    above    the   water ; 

others  jut  out  beyond  the  Falls ;  still 

others  are   hidden   a   httle    below  the 

edge,  so    that    the  flood   falling   upon 

them  is  dispersed  in  foamy  spray  and 

mist  to  add  a  new  and  charming  effect 

to  the  scene.      The   actual    Falls    are 

more  beautiful  though  not  as  majestic 

as  Niagara.      But  there  are  no  great 

whirlpools  and  no  rapids  below,  such 

as   -give     dignity    and     awe    to    the 

American  falls. 

Gallery)  of  the  Dead.  Catacombs 
of  Guanajuato,  Mexico.— Orve  of  the 
most  grotesque,  quaint,  old  and  fasci- 
nating towns  of  Mexico  is  Guana- 
juato, pronounced  "  Whan-a-wha-to," 
near  the  Une  of  the  Mexican  Central 
Railway  and  within  a  day's  journey 
(two  hundred  and  thirty-eight  miles) 
of  the  City  of  Mexico. 

The  churches  and  paintings  of  this 
city  have  made  it  world-famous, 
but  the  most  pecuhar  and  strangest 
of  its  attractions  is  found  in  its 
catacombs,  or  mummy  chamber,  here 
pictured.  On  the  hillside  overlook- 
ing the  city  is  the  Home  of  the  Dead 
— the  graveyard — and  yet  it  is  not 
a  graveyard :  it  is  a  veritable  Pan- 
theon, or  House  of  Burial.  The 
tombs  are  arranged  in  the  thick 
walls,  tier  upon  tier,  of  identical 
size,  Hke  so  many  pigeon-holes,  each 
recess  being  numbered.  Wrapped  up 
hke  mummies,  the  bodies  of  the 
dead  are  here  placed,  registered  in  a 
book,  and  known  by  the  numbers  of 
the  recesses.  A  certain  fee  is  ex- 
pected   yearly   for    caring    for    these 


THE    MAJOR    DOMO.    GARDEN    OF    THE    GODS. 
Situated  in    Glen    Eyrie,   the   Maior  Domo   i>  particularly    noticeable,    as 
it  stands    out    a    f.,nla8tically-c»rvei    pillar    over   120  teet  higK  of    blood-red 

sandstone 


37 


562 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


bodies,  and  if,  after  a  period  of  five  years,  payment  is  discontinued,  the  bones  are  taken  from  tlieir 
pigeon-lioles  and  thrown  in  a  heap  in  the  catacomb  below  with  countless  other  fleshless  bones  and 
skulls.  Another  body  takes  the  recess  with  its  number,  but  the  former  occupant  cares  not.  His 
earthly  concerns  are  ended. 

In  a  moist  climate  such  treatment  of  the  dead  would,  of  course,  be  impossible.  But  here,  at 
this  great  elevation,  and  with  an  air  as  dry  as  an  oven,  as  clear  as  crystal,  and  with  rare  aseptic 
qualities,  the  flesh  dries  up  and  ultimately  crumbles  to  dust,  giving  out  no  odour  of  decay  or 
suggestions  of  death.  Now  and  again  a  tenant  does  not  dissolve  into  his  original  elements.  The 
dryness  of  the  atmosphere  simply  mummifies  him,  and  his  perishable  clay  puts  on  the  appearance 
of  immortal  age.     In  such  a  case  the  body  is  saved  from  the  pile  of  bones.     It  is  taken  through  the 

trap-door  down  the  spiral  staircase  to 
the  grim  corridor  beneath,  where,  with 
a  grisly  army  of  other  mummies,  it  is 
stood  up  against  the  wall  to  await  the 
blowing  of  the  last  trump.  It  is  a 
ghoulish  company,  yet  many  are  the 
visitors  who  go  up  the  hill  merely  to  gaze 
upon  so  strange  and  unusual  a  scene. 

The  Garden  of  the  Gods,  Colorado. — 
Colorado  is  a  State  of  mountains,, 
plateaus,  "  parks "  and  such  rugged 
scenery  that  one  born  and  reared  in 
a  country  like  England  has  no  possible 
conception  of.  One  of  the  most  ac- 
cessible and  popular  places  of  wild  and 
picturesque  grandeur  is  the  Garden  of 
the  Gods,  five  miles  from  Colorado 
Springs  and  about  seventy-five  miles 
from  Denver.  A  fine  road  has  been 
constructed  over  the  mesa,  or  table- 
land, and  four  miles  away  Glen  Eyrie 
is  reached,  where,  through  a  private 
estate,  visitors  are  allowed  to  enter 
and  see  the  sandstone  monuments — 
some  of  which  are  generally  sup- 
posed to  belong  to  the  Garden  of 
the  Gods.  The  two  chief  rocks  are 
the  Major  Domo  and  Cathedral  Rock.  The  former  a  fantastically-carved  piece  of  almost  blood-red 
sandstone,  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  high,  with  a  rude  knob  or  head,  has  a  commanding  or 
half-ferocious  presence,  which  has  been  the  cause  of  its  title.  It  is  only  about  ten  feet  in  diameter 
at  its  base.  A  mile  further  on  the  splendid  Gateway  to  the  Garden  is  reached.  The  pillars  that 
compose  it  are  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet  higli,  and  just  wide  enough  apart  to  allow  space  for 
the  carriageway ;  in  the  centre  of  this  is  a  red  pillar  twenty-five  feet  high,  naturally  dividing  the 
roadway  into  an  entrance  and  exit.  Towering  above  us  as  we  enter  the  garden,  the  majestic  and 
snow-crowned  summit  of  Pike's  Peak,  over  fourteen  thousand  feet  high,  fills  the  horizon,  and  is 
beautifully  framed  in  a  rich  setting  of  red  sandstone. 

The  Garden  of  the  Gods  is  a  tract  of  about  five  hundred  acres,  thickly  strewn  with  these  fantastic 
and  majestic  natural  monuments  in  red  and  white  sandstone.  The  colouring  of  the  rocks  adds  not 
a  little  to  the  effect,  and  to  be  properly  seen  the  Garden  should  be  visited  in  the  morning  or  evening,, 


From  iSlereo  by]  yi.  C,  iy/iite  Uo. 

THE  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS,  COLORADO. 

These  two  rocks  are  named  "TKe  Twins."     Behind  them  can  be  seen 

Pike's  Peak,  a  mountain  over  14,000  feet  high. 


564 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


when  the  shadows  are  long,  and  so  add  variety  to  their  charm.  Immediately  after  a  rain  the 
hues  are  deeper,  and  the  red  becomes  so  vivid  that  the  truthful  representations  of  the  artist  are 
taken  for  rude  exaggerations. 

Immediately  the  traveller  finds  himself  within  the  Gate  he  is  in  an  enchanted  region,  where 
objects  unreal,  supernatural,  mighty  and  strange  overwhelm  the  senses.  The  road  winds  between 
every  conceivable  and  inconceivable  shape  and  size  of  rock,  "  from  pebbles  up  to  gigantic 
boulders,  from  queer  little  grotesques,  looking  like  seals,  cats  or  masks,  to  colossal  forms,  looking 
like  elephants,  like  huge  gargoyles,  like  giants,  like  sphinxes,  some  eighty  feet  high,  all  motion- 
less and  silent,  with  a  strange  look  of  having  been  just  stopped  and  held  back  in  the  very  climax 
of  some  supernatural  catastrophe.  The  stillness,  the  absence  of  living  things,  the  preponderance  of 
bizarre  shapes,  the  expression  of  arrested  action,  give  to  the  whole  place,  in  spite  of  its  glory  of 

colouring,  in  spite  of  the  grandeur 
of  its  vistas  ending  in  snow-covered 
peaks  only  six  miles  away,  in  spite 
of  its  friendly  and  familiar  cedars 
and  pines,  in  spite  of  an  occa- 
sional fragrance  of  clematis,  or 
twitter  of  a  sparrow — spite  of 
all  these,  a  certain  uncanniness 
of  atmosphere,  which  is  at  first 
oppressive.  I  doubt  if  ever  any- 
one loved  the  Garden  of  the  Gods 
at  first  sight.  One  must  feel  his 
way  to  its  beauty  and  rareness, 
and  must  learn  to  appreciate  it 
as  one  would  a  new  language ; 
even  if  a  man  has  known  Nature's 
tongues  well,  he  will  be  a  helpless 
foreigner  here." 

Two  of  the  mystic  figures  are 
much  alike,  and  being  anchored 
together  at  their  base  by  the 
same  rock  stratum  are  called 
"The  Twins."  Their  ogre-like 
heads  remind  one  of  Dickens's 
description  of  the  dwarf  Quilp,  or 
of  Victor  Hugo's  Hunchback  of 
Notre  Dame ;  ugly  faces,  with 
rude  protruding  lips,  their  heads 
swathed  in  grey  turbans.  Seen 
in  the  moonlight,  and  especially  if 
the  stranger's  eyes  should  happen 
to  fall  upon  them  unexpectedly, 
they  would  assuredly  startle  him 
by  their  weird  and  uncouth  ap- 
pearance. 

More  beautiful  and  impres- 
sive are  the  "Cathedral  Spires," 
slender,  slim,  towering  rocks  that 


From  Stereo  topyright  by"]  lUnderwood  ti-  Underwood. 

THE  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS.  COLORADO. 

The  "Tower  of   Babel,"  a' colossal  column  of  rock  ihrec  hundred  feet  high. 


North  America 


565 


rise  to  heights  varying  from  one 
hundred  to  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  feet,  the  natural  accompaniments 
of  the  majestic  Cathedral  Rock   near 

by. 

Somewhat  similar  in  general  effect, 
but  more  massive  and  compact,  is 
the  "Tower  of  Babel."  This  ap- 
proaches three  hundred  feet  in 
height,  and  its  spires  are  not  so 
pointed  as  those  of  the  Cathedral, 
yet  they  are  fantastic  and  quaint 
and  lend  themselves  with  pecuhar 
fitness  to  their  name. 

Another  of  the  distinctive  features 
of  the  rocks  is  that  of  the  toadstool. 
These  vary  in  size  from  tiny  rocks  up 
to  six,  ten,  twelve  and  more  feet  in 
diameter.  Some  of  them  weigh  many 
tons  each.  Others  look  like  quaint 
Chinese  hats,  or  a  new  style  of 
umbrella.  One  of  these  is  tall  enough 
for  a  man  to  stand  underneath,  and 
a  couple  of  children,  caught  here  by  a 
photographer  on  a  rainy  day,  sug- 
gested that  it  was  a  land  for  the 
elves  where  tiny  lovers  could  find  that  seclusion  and  shelter  which  is  dear  to  the  hearts  of  all  lovers, 
human  or  fairy. 

To  many  visitors  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  rocks  is  found  to  be  "  Balanced  Rock,"  a  massive 
cube  as  large  as  a  dwelling-house,  balanced  on  a  pivot-like  point  at  its  base,  as  if  a  child's  strength 
could  upset  it.  Yet  it  is  solid,  fixed,  immovable,  and  has  so  stood  since  it  was  first  discovered  by 
man.  At  certain  angles  a  fairly  good  human  profile  is  to  be  seen  upon  the  face  of  Balanced  Rock 
— the  eyes,  nose  and  mouth  being  fairly  well  adjusted,  though  the  chin  is  elongated  out  of  all 
proportion  and  the  brow  and  head  are  "  hilly  and  hollowy  "  enough  to  disconcert  the  most  expert 
and  experienced  phrenologist. 

All  these  fantastic  and  quaint  forms  have  been  carved  out  of  the  sandstone  by  the  action  of 
rain,  wind,  storm,  sand,  frost,  and  atmospheric  gases.  As  the  gradual  degradation  and  cutting  out 
and  down  of  the  surrounding  rocks  took  place  these  masses  were  slowly  detached  from  the  parent 
stratum,  owing  to  their  having  been  better  protected  than  the  rest  of  the  rock,  or  because  they  were 
composed  of  more  durable  substances,  more  compacted  together,  perhaps,  and  thus  better  able  to 
resist  the  encroachments  of  the  gnawing  teeth  of  Time.  Possibly  the  washing  down  of  torrential 
waters  from  the  near-by  mountains  may  have  helped  considerably  in  their  earliest  emergency. 
Certain  it  is  that  water  and  wind  have  been  the  principal  agencies  in  carrying  away  the  dust  and 
debris  of  this  Nature  workshop.  Millions  of  tons  have  been  thus  disposed  of :  some  to  help  fill  up 
the  now  level  country  beneath,  others  to  aid  the  rivers  in  scouring  out  the  wild  and  rugged 
gorges,  ravines  and  canyons  that  have  given  to  Colorado  and  the  adjacent  States  some  of  the  most 
stupendous  scenery  known  to  man. 

The  Natural  Bridge  of  Virginia. — Ever  since  its  discovery  the  Natural  Bridge  of  Virginia 
has  ranked  as  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  United  States.     It  is  a  solid  mass  of  hmestone,  without 


Frotti  Ste?'€o  copyright  61/]  [Underuood  it  Undencood. 

THE    GARDEN    OF    THE    GODS.    COLORADO. 
Thes^    "  toadstool  "    formations    ars    abundant    in    this  park,    and    are    of 
every    degree   of    size,   from   tiny   rocks    to    specimens    of    twelve  feet   or   more 
in  diameter. 


566 


The  Wonders   of  the  World 


a  break  in  it,  carved  by  Nature  out  of  a  bed  of  limestone  that  once  entirely  covered  the  whole  region. 
It  is  situated  in  Rockbridge  County,  Virginia,  at  the  extremity  of  a  deep  chasm  or  gorge,  through 
which  flows  the  little  stream  called  Cedar  Creek.  The  bridge  is  two  hundred  and  fifteen  feet  high, 
one  hundred  feet  wide,  and  the  span  is  about  ninety  feet.  The  middle  of  the  arch  is  forty  feet  in  per- 
pendicular thickness,  which  towards  the  sides  regularly  increases  with  a  graceful  curve,  as  in  an 
artificial  structure.      There  can  be  no  doubt  that  at  one  time,  when  the  limestone  blanket  covered 

the  whole  region,  a  subterranean  stream  ran 
where  Cedar  Creek  now  is  and  carved  out  the 
tunnel,  of  which  the  bridge  is  but  the  tiny 
remnant,  with  the  rest  of  the  rocky  stratum 
carried  away  by  the  wear  and  tear  of  the  ages. 
The  ravine  throughout  its  whole  length  is 
most  interesting,  and  one  should  follow  up  the 
stream  until  the  lofty  precipices  on  either  side 
turn  to  steep  wooded  slopes.  On  the  way  up. 
Saltpetre  Cave  and  Hemlock  Island  are  worth 
visiting,  and  further  up  is  Lost  River.  There 
is  just  one  spot  where  it  appears,  but  one  must 
search  carefully  to  find  it.  Naturally  one  is 
supposed  to  drink  of  its  water.  It  tiien  dis- 
appears, though  its  voice  can  be  heard,  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  glen,  which  is  pervaded  by 
its  dull  rumbling  or  moaning.  The  whole  glen 
is  a  botanist's  paradise,  sedges,  ferns,  flowers 
attracting  his  attention  on  every  hand,  when 
the  fluttering  of  the  butterflies  does  not  hold  it. 
The  brook  also  seems  to  attract  the  Louisiana 
water-thrushes  in  great  numbers,  and  their 
loud,  ringing,  disconnected,  staccato  song  is  by 
no  means  one  of  the  least  interesting  features 
of  a  visit  to  this  enchanting  spot. 

The  Natural  Bridge  is  a  bridge  in    reality 
it  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H     as  well  as  in  name,  so,  retracing  one's  steps, 

P»^_^A^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H     the  to    the    public    road,    and 

there  walks  over  the  arch.  As  the  bridge  is  on 
the  same  plane  as  the  surrounding  country,  it 
would  be  quite  possible  for  one  to  walk  or 
ride  over  it  in  a  carriage  or  automobile  and  be 
totally  unaware  of  the  fact. 

On  the  abutments  of  the  bridge,  as  is  usual 
at  such  places,  many  names  are  inscribed,  but 
those  at  the  Natural  Bridge  have  special  interest,  because  here,  about  twenty-five  feet  above  the 
stream  on  the  west  side,  George  Washington  carved  his  name.  For  three-quarters  of  a  century 
this  stood  alone  higher  than  that  of  any  other  visitor,  until  in  1818  a  student  in  Washington 
College,  James  Piper  by  name,  scaled  the  cliff  from  the  foot  to  the  top  and  wrote  his  name  above 
that  of  the  Father  of  his  Country.  This  escapade  was  made  the  occasion  of  a  thrilling  piece  of 
oratory,  which  was  used  by  John  B.  Gough,  the  great  temperance  advocate,  with  telling  effect. 

The  Upper  Geyser  Basin,   Yellowstone  Park.— ^or  convenience  the  Yellowstone  National  Park 
is  divided  into  rather  arbitrary  parts,  as  Upper  Geyser  Basin,  Middle,  and  Lower  Geyser  Basins, 


From  ».-/v„  l.m 

THE  GARDEN  OF  THE  GODS. 


COLORADO. 


AltliougW  it  has  the  appearance  of  being  balanced  on  a  pivot, 
the  "Balanced  RjcU"  is  solid  and  immovable. 


r/iofo  by']  '  Ih-io.rajhic  i'o. 

IHE    NATURAL    BRIDGE    OF    VIRGINIA. 
SitLiated  in   Rockbridge  Co'jnlv,   Virginia,  this  bridge,  whose  spsn  reaches  to  abojt  ninety  feet,  is    consiie^ed    to    be    one    of    the 
finest    sights  of  the    United    States.      On     the    west    side     of    the     bridf^e    George    Washington    has    carved    his    na  r.e    ia    the     Umest  ina 
cliff. 


568 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


Gibbon  Paint-Pot  Basin,  etc. 
In  the  Upper  Basin  the  princi- 
pal geysers  of  the  Park  are 
found.  It  is  the  principal  re- 
sort of  the  tourist  and  the  best 
known  portion  of  the  whole 
region,  for  it  is  essentially  the 
home  of  the  geyser  as  seen  in  its 
highest  development,  there  being 
no  less  than  fifteen  examples  of 
the  first  magnitude  and  scores 
of  less  important  ones.  The 
chief  springs  and  geysers  are  on 
the  Firehole  River.  The  Basin 
itself  is  almost  triangular  in 
shape,  and  is  formed  by  the  con- 
vergence of  the  Firehole  and 
Little  Firehole  Rivers.  Its  area 
is  about  four  square  miles,  but 
the  principal  geysers  are  situated 
within  an  area  of  half  a  mile  or 
so  on  either  side  of  the  Firehole 
River.  When  the  geysers  are 
very  active  this  river  is  materially 
increased  in  volume,  and  its 
temperature  is  affected  by  that 
of  the  springs.  For  instance,  in 
the  distance  of  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  from  Old  Faithful  to  a  point 
opposite  Grand  Geyser,  it  is  often 
7°  Fahr.  warmer  than  anywhere 
else.  The  surface  of  the  basin  consists  of  a  succession  of  ridges  and  knolls,  crowned  with  geysers 
and  boiling  springs.  On  every  side  are  mountains,  one  thousand  five  hundred  feet  in  height,  the 
slopes  of  which  are  heavily  timbered,  although  there  are  occasional  outcroppings  of  rough  basaltic 
rocks  among  the  pines. 

Climb  up  with  me  to  a  suitable  height  on  one  of  these  hills  and  let  us  overlook  the  basin.  It 
is  a  clear  and  beautiful  morning.  Sunrise  is  shedding  its  colour  and  glory  over  the  scene.  "  Clouds 
of  steam  ascend  from  geysers  and  springs  and  hang  hke  palls  over  the  Basin,  and  columns  of  vapour 
float  upward  like  water-wraiths  from  between  the  tree-tops  of  the  surrounding  forest.  The  earth  is 
full  of  rumbling  and  gurgling  sounds,  and  the  air  is  laden  with  sulphurous  fumes.  Stupendous 
fountains  of  boiling  water,  veiled  in  spray,  shoot  toward  heaven,  at  varying  heights,  like  reversed 
cascades,  glinting  and  coruscating  and  scintillating  in  the  morning  sunlight,  until  their  force  is 
expended,  when  they  fall  in  showers  of  splashing  pearls,  with  a  shock  that  makes  the  ground  tremble." 
What  is  this  wonder  world  over  which  we  are  gazing  ?  It  is  so  different  from  any  other  scene.  Whence 
comes  this  steam  and  vapour  ?  It  seems  like  a  vast  out-of-door  kitchen,  where  the  cooks  are 
somewhat  careless  at  times  and  Hquids  are  allowed  to  boil  over  and  send  up  their  steam  in  protest. 
Watch  again  for  awhile.  Do  you  see  yonder  little  mound  ?  That  is  the  cone  of  a  geyser.  It  rises, 
as  you  observe,  gradually  from  the  plane  of  the  formation,  and  were  you  to  stand  by  its  side  and 
look  down  into  it,  you  would  find  a  rudely-shaped  orifice  out  of  which  issue  strange  gurglings. 


From  Mtereo  copyriijtit  by'\  L'  "<h'rwood  it  Underwood. 

SUNRISE    IN    YELLOWSTONE     PARK. 
In     tKe     intense    clearness    of    morning    sunlight    the    glittering    steam    of    the    hot 
springs  and  the    falling  water  of    an  active  geyser  create  a  brilliancy  that  is  dazzling 
in  its  intensity. 


North   America 


569 


bubblings  and  even  hoarse  roarings  and  grumblings,  as  if  some  giant  were  preparing  to  eructate. 
Now  it  gives  forth  a  loud  roar.  Beware  !  Stand  back  !  In  a  moment,  with  a  rush  and  power  that 
at  first  terrify  one,  a  white  obelisk  column  or  shaft  of  scalding,  steaming  water  shoots  up  into  the 
air,  sometimes  as  high  as  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  like  a  fountain  is  held  in  swaying  beauty 
until  the  original  force  is  expended,  when  it  suddenly  drops  to  the  earth  and  all  is  quiescent 
again. 

What  is  it  that  makes  the  geyser.  Bunsen's  theory  was  that  the  geyser  makes  its  own  cave  and 
tube.  If  it  be  composed  of  water  that  is  not  alkaline,  the  spring  will  remain  an  ordinary  boiling 
spring.  If  alkaline,  silica  is  held  in  solution,  and  the  silica  is  deposited  about  the  spring.  Thus  a 
mound  and  tube  are  gradually  built.  For  a  long  time,  a  spring  of  this  character  may  boil,  but  not  be 
violently  eruptive,  the  circulation  maintaining  nearly  an  equal  temperature  in  every  part  of  the  tube. 
But,  as  the  tube  becomes  longer,  and  the  circulation  more  and  more  impeded,  the  difference  of 
temperature  in  the  water  in  the  \ipper  and  lower  parts  of  the  tube  grows  greater  and  greater,  until 
at  length  the  boiling-point  is  reached  below,  while  the  water  above  is  comparatively  cool.  Then 
begins  the  eruption,  to  be  repeated  with  more  or  less  frequency  for  a  period  of  years.  Finally,  either 
from  a  gradual  failure  of  the  subterranean  heat,  or  else  from  the  increasing  length  of  the  tube,  by 
which  the  formation  of  steam  is  repressed,  the  eruptions  gradually  cease. 

It  is  interesting  to  watch  the  process  by  which  the  terraces,  cones  and  chimneys  have  been  built 
up.  While  the  methods  vary  somewhat  in  accordance  with  the  material  held  in  solution  by  the 
water,  the  principle  of  slow  accretion  is  practically  the  same.  If  you  stand  on  one  of  the  terraces 
overlooking  the  mammoth  hot-springs  region  you  can  soon  satisfy  yourself  that  the  terrace  itself 
has  been  built  up,  even  thougli  you  are  three  hundred  feet  above  the  plateau,  by  the  slow  deposits 
from  the  overflowing  waters  of  the  boiling  hot  springs.  As  the  water  reaches  the  cold  air  outside 
a  rapid  evaporation  takes  place.     This  precipitates  whatever  mineral  is  held  in  solution,  whether 


J'hoto  by'] 


Li/iC  Jjelroii  i/wtvy/ajjuit:  to. 


THE    GROTTO    GEYSER.    YELLOWSTONE    PARK- 
A  wonderful  formation   of  snow-white  geyserite. 


570 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


silica,  as  in  the  geysers,  or  limestone,  as  in  these  springs.  For  centuries  this  process  continues, 
the  deposits  naturally  increasing  with  the  years,  no  matter  how  slow  the  process  may  be.  The 
ripples  seen  in  the  engraving  are  made  of  these  deposits.  They  are  called  travertine,  or,  when 
made  from  the  geysers,  geyserite,  and  in  the  course  of  ages  they  climb  higher  and  higher  until 
they  form  the  terraces  presented  in  earlier  pages  of  this  work. 

From  all  these  remarks,  therefore,  it  will  be  apparent  that  even  now  the  Yellowstone  Park  region 
is  a  region  of  change.     The  geysers  are  not  always  the  same.     For  instance,  after  visiting  the  Biscuit 

Basin,  in  which  are  the  Jewell  Geyser  and  the 
Sapphire  Pool,  the  traveller  reaches  Artemesia 
Geyser.  This  geyser  came  into  action  as  re- 
cently as  1886,  while  two  years  later,  in  1888, 
the  Excelsior,  at  that  time  the  greatest  geyser 
in  the  known  world,  while  spouting  with  more 
than  its  usual  vigour,  ruptured  its  crater  and 
has  never  spouted  since.  In  its  former  periods 
of  activity  it  is  said  to  have  often  raised  the 
Firehole  River  seven  feet  in  as  many  minutes 
with  the  rapid  outrush  of  its  waters. 

The  Sapphire  Pool  is  the  chief  object  of 
interest  in  the  Biscuit  Basin.  As  its  name 
implies,  it  is  a  pool  of  rich  sapphire  hue. 
It  is  not  so  beautiful  in  form  as  the  Morning 
Glory,  but  the  colour  of  the  water  is  richer  in 
places. 

Above  the  Artemesia  is  the  Sentinel,  and 
then  comes  the  Morning  Glory,  an  exquisitely 
beautiful  quiescent  pool  which  seems  to  have 
arrested  in  its  limpid  waters  the  translucent 
glory  of  the  flower  whose  name  it  bears.  Its 
border  is  variegated  in  colour,  rich  reddish- 
browns  predominating,  but  all  in  perfect 
harmony  with  the  deep  cerulean  hue  of  the 
transparent  waters  beyond.  Some  minds  find 
a  far  greater  fascination  in  these  quiet  pools  of 
colour  allurement  than  in  the  more  noisy, 
active  and  modern  spirit  of  the  active  geysers, 
and  it  is  no  uncommon  thing  to  find  such 
people  returning  again  and  again  to  the 
Morning  Glory  to  drink  in  to  the  full  its 
rare  and  unique  graces  and  charms. 
But  unquestionably  the  most  powerful  source  of  popular  attraction  in  the  whole  Park  is  Old 
Faithful  geyser.  As  Captain  Chittenden  well  writes  :  "  Any  other  geyser,  any  five  other  geysers, 
could  be  erased  from  the  list  better  tlian  part  with  Old  Faithful.  The  Giant,  Giantess,  Grand, 
Splendid,  and  Excelsior  have  more  powerful  eruptions.  The  Bee  Hive  is  more  artistic.  The  Great 
Fountain  has  a  more  wonderful  formation.  But  Old  Faithful  partakes  in  a  high  degree  of  all  these 
characteristics,  and,  in  addition,  has  tlie  invariable  quaUty  of  uniform  periodicity  of  action.  It  is  in 
fact  the  most  perfect  of  all  known  geysers.  To  it  fell  the  honour  of  welcoming  civilized  man  to  this 
region.  It  was  the  first  geyser  named.  It  stands  at  the  head  of  the  Basin  and  has  been  happily 
called  '  The  Guardian  of  the  Valley.' 


From  aiereo  copy  right  hu']  ILhitief  iwod  A   Intdei  icood 

THE    CRATER    OF    OLD     FAITHFUL.    YELLOWSTONE 

PARK. 

The  crater  of  this  most  famous  geyser  is  en cr Listed  with 
geyserite,  a  silica  which  is  deposited  when  the  scalding 
mineralized  water  is  evaporated  into  steam. 


The 


"OLD     FAITHFUL"    GEYSER.     YELLOWSTONE     PARK. 

eruption    of    "Old    Faithful"  occurs  once    in    sixty    to   sixty-thre?  minutes,    and    is    almost   as    regu'ar    pb    the    striking    of    a 


clock.      It   is  that  regularity  which  gives  the  spring  its  name.     Scientists  have  calcjlated  that  at  each  eruption   1,500.000  gallons  of 
water  are  ejectsd. 


572 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


1 


From  Htereo  bill  yj,  v.  WMte  Co. 

THE     PUNCH     BOWL.     YELLOWSTONE     PARK. 

One  of  the   hot  springs  of  the  Upper  Geyser  Basin. 


"It  is  located  in  the  centre  of 
an  oblong  mound,  one  hundred  and 
forty-five  by  two  hundred  and 
fifteen  feet  at  the  base,  twenty  by 
fifty-four  feet  at  the  summit,  and 
about  twelve  feet  high.  The  tube 
which  seems  to  have  originated  in 
a  fissure  in  the  rock,  has  an  in- 
side measurement  of  two  by  six 
feet." 

Few  people  can  conceive  the  im- 
mense amount  of  work  performed  by 
this  geyser.  The  United  States  Geo- 
logical Survey,  in  1878,  made  a  series- 
of  extended  observations  of  Old 
Faithful,  and  conservatively  estimated 
Hj^^  .'"T'<^K^>  ■..;,>  j^r.^^H^^^J^BII^^^^B     that    the     outpour     for     an     average 

^|w  i^    -  • /,?ii'&^;  V^^l^^i  ^^'' ^^H     eruption    is    not    less    than    one    mil- 

P'  ;; ,  SSk^''^"  '  ' '^^sHHHr/'-*^^B     ''^'^    ^^^    hundred    thousand    gallons, 

w-^ '_  ,-. T^m^- > 4^mS^^Wt^^ms:^- r  ■"'-  •      TiMiBM'ifflB     which  gives  thirty-three  millions  two 

hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
gallons  per  day.  This  would  supply 
a  city  of  three  hundred  thousand  in- 
habitants. 

The  Claas  Spreckels  Building  (more  generatly)  knoTvn  as  the  '*  Call "  Building),  San  Francisco, 
California. — -This  building,  nineteen  stories  in  height,  situated  at  the  south-west  corner  of 
Market  and  Third  Streets,  San  Francisco,  California,  has  a  frontage  of  seventy-five  feet  on  Market 
and  seventy  feet  on  Third  Street.  The  design,  however,  is  treated  as  though  both  fronts  were  of 
the  same  width,  in  such  manner  as  to  make  this  variation  unnoticeable. 

The  building  is  notable  not  only  for  its  correct  architectural  proportions,  but  for  its  height  in 
relation  to  ground  area.  It  is  three  hundred  and  fifteen  feet  from  level  of  sidewalk  to  top  of 
dome,  and  exceeded  in  this  respect,  at  the  time  it  was  built,  any  of  the  previous  architectural 
achievements  in  this  country.  It  is  also  notable  for  the  fact  of  being  located  within  the  earthquake 
zone  and  for  having  passed  through  the  great  earthquake  and  fire  of  April,  1906.  The  following 
extracts  taken  from  the  United  States  Government  Geological  Survey  of  the  San  Francisco  Fire  and 
Earthquake,  issued  by  the  Department  of  the  Interior,  give  a  brief  synopsis  of  the  construction  : 

"  Of  all  the  commercial  buildings  in  San  Francisco,  by  far  the  most  interesting  was  that  known 
as  the  Call  (or  Spreckels)  Building,  at  the  corner  of  Third  and  Market  Streets.  This  building  is 
remarkable  for  the  care  and  skill  shown  in  the  design  of  its  steel  work.  It  is  a  steel  frame  building, 
all  the  walls,  floors,  partitions,  etc.,  being  carried  on  steel  work.  It  has  fifteen  main  stories,  in 
addition  to  the  stories  in  the  dome  or  cupola,  and  rests  upon  a  continuous  foundation  composed 
of  concrete  reinforced  with  steel  beams.  The  building  proper  is  about  seventy-five  feet  square, 
but  the  foundation  is  about  ninety  by  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  and  was  carried  to  a  depth  of 
about  twenty-five  feet  below  the  sidewalk  level.  A  fairly  complete  and  satisfactory  description 
of  this  building  was  published  in  the  Engineering  Record  of  April  g  and  16,  1898. 

"  In  the  first  four  stories  above  the  street  the  bents  of  the  steel  work  adjacent  to  the  four  corners 
of  the  building  on  each  side  were  braced  with  solid  portal  braces.  In  addition,  eight  interior  bents 
were  braced  with  diagonal  tiebars  from  top  to  bottom.  At  all  junctions  of  girders  and  beams  with 
columns,  knee  braces  were  used.    The  design  of  this  steel  work  is  well  worthy  of  study  by  anyone 


North  America 


573 


interested  in  such  structures.  It  is  probably,  on  the  whole,  the  best  designed  piece  of  such  work  in 
the  United  States.  Another  remarkable  thing  about  it  is  that  the  execution  was  apparently  as 
good  as  the  design.  In  a  number  of  places  where  the  fireproofing  had  come  off,  the  connections  were 
exposed,  and  the  workmanship  here  seemed  to  have  been  practically  as  good  as  it  could  well  be 
made.  I  particularly  noticed  the  column  bearings,  and  they  seemed  to  be  absolutely  close  and 
true.  Inaccurate  column  bearings  in  building  work  are  so  often  seen  that  one  is  almost  justified  in 
saying  that  they  are  the  rule  rather  than  the  exception  ;  but  in  the  Call  Building  such  connections 
as  were  exposed  to  view  had  been  put  together  with  extreme  accuracy.  .  .  . 

"  The  only  safe  plan  in  the  construction  of  steel-frame  buildings  is  the  one  followed  in  the  Call 
Building — that  is,  to  brace  the  steel  work  so  that  by  itself  it  is  able  to  resist  the  stresses  due  to  the 
vibration.  The  engineer  who  designed  the  foundations  and  steel  frame  of  this  building  may  well  be 
gratified  at  the  admirable  manner  in  which  his  structure  fulfilled  its  purpose.  .  .  ." 

It  withstood  the  earthquake  shock  without  any  damage  whatever  ;  but  later  on  the  same  day 
was  swept  by  the  fire,  which  practically  destroyed  the  city,  and  all  the  fine  interior  finish  was 
burned  out.  This  was  restored  within  a  few  months,  however,  and  on  the  22nd  of  May  following 
the  catastrophe  the  San  Francisco  Call,  from  which  the  building  derives  its  popular  name,  issued 
its  paper  from  its  own  presses  in  the  building,  and  after  a  short  period  no  vestige  of  the  ravages  of 
the  fire  was  to  be  seen  in  the  structure. 

The  building  is  designed  in  the  Italian  Renaissance  style,  and  is  one  of  the  best  examples  to  be 
iound  of  the  adaptation  of  that  beautiful  type  of  architecture  to  commercial  structures. 


Photo  bjfi  •-  IThe  Detroit  Photographic  Co. 

•MORNING    GLORV."    YELLOWSTONE    PARK. 
The  sinter  slopes  of  the  mouth  of  this  geyser  appear  stained  a  deep  cerulean  blue  by  the  translucent  waters,  and  the  fringe  of  the 

pool  is  a  glittering  border  of  metallic  colourings. 


574 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


rri  r-ii|, 
ri  i  i  iiiii 


J*holo  bt/] 

THE    CLAUS    SPRECKELS    BUILDING, 
This     inaKniBcent    buildintr,     nineteen    stories     high,    withstood     the 
quaUe    shock  of  April.   1906:   but  the  interior  Bttings  were  damaged  by  the  fire 


I'J'/i''  l>''lroit  J'fiUtO'/ rap/tic  Co. 
SAN     FRANCISCO. 

arth- 


The  treatment  of  the  exterior  is 
the  same  on  all  four  sides,  above  the 
line  of  the  seventh  story,  and  stands 
out  as  a  well-proportioned  tower, 
noticeable  from  nearly  all  points, 
within  the  city,  and  particularly  so 
on  entering  the  harbour,  over  which, 
at  night,  the  great  lantern  surmount- 
ing its  dome  casts  its  rays  at  all 
hours.  The  outlook  from  its  upper 
stories  is  unsurpassed,  giving  as  it 
does  a  panoramic  view  of  the  bay 
and  surrounding  country  for  miles 
in  all  directions.  Mount  Diablo  and 
adjacent  hills,  often  snow-clad,  being 
distinctly  visible  on  clear  days. 

Granary)  of  the  CUff-Dwellers 
in  the  Sierra  Madre  Mountains  of 
Mexico,  —  Wherever  primitive  man 
has  sought  to  make  for  himself  fixed 
dwellings  one  of  his  first  requisites 
has  been  to  plan  for  the  safe  storage 
of  his  food.  Many  scores  of  pages 
of  this  work  might  be  taken  up 
with  pictorial  and  verbal  descrip- 
tions of  the  various  storage  methods 
followed  by  the  North  American 
Indians  alone,  from  the  Meala  Hawas, 
or  corn  storage  cliff-rooms,  of  the 
Arizona  cliff-dwellers  to  the  stilted 
acorn-storages  of  the  Yosemite  Valley 
Indians,  and  the  massive  mesquite- 
bean  pits  of  the  Indians  of  the  Colo- 
rado River.  Perhaps  the  quaintest 
of  these  storages,  or  granaries,  are 
those  found  in  the  cliff  ruins  of  the 
Sierra  Madre  in  Mexico. 

When  Carl  Lumholtz,  the  great 
explorer  and  ethnologist,  discovered 
tliese  people,  still  dwelling  in  the  cliff 
cities  their  ancestors  had  constructed, 
he  found  that  little  or  no  change  had 
taken  place  in  their  habits  for  a  score 
or  more  of  generations.  Their  food 
was  largely  composed  of  the  seeds  of 
grasses — which  they  gathered  during 
the  harvest  time,  with  basketry  fans, 
by  means  of  which  they  struck  the 
seeds    into    large    carrying    baskets. 


that    broke    out    immediately   afterwards 
required  to  restore  these  completely 


Only    a    few    months,  however,    were 


North   America 


575 


manipulated  with  the  left  hand — certain  edible  roots  and  acorns,  as  well  as  the  corn  or  maize  grown 
to  such  perfection  by  the  North  American  aborigine.  There  were  times  of  drought,  however,  when 
little  food  was  to  be  obtained  ;  then,  too,  their  enemies  occasionally  so  beset  them  as  to  render  the 
gathering  of  their  harvests  impossible.  The  wise  men  of  the  tribe,  therefore,  prescribed  that  a 
certain  proportion  of  each  crop  should  be  set  aside  for  such  emergencies.  It  was  no  uncommon 
thing  to  find  a  supply  sufficient  for  three  years  set  apart  in  the  storage  houses. 

But  how  to  protect  this  food  from  rats,  mice,  squirrels,  and  such  vermin  was  a  grave  question. 
The  best  solution  of  the  problem  was  found  in  the  construction  or  erection  of  granaries  of  stone 
and  rude  concrete,  with  few  and  small  apertures,  all  of  which  could  be  covered  with  rock  and  plastered 


phQlQ  /,,  lUiulefwood  <(■  rnb'rtcood. 

GRANARY    OF    A    CLIFF-DWELLING.    SIERRA    MADRE.    MEXICO. 
In    order  to  protect  their  (ood.  which    consisted  of   seeds    of   grasses,  acorns,  etc..   from  predatory  animals,  the  cliff-dwellers  built 
large  granaries.      Those  of  the  Arizona  and  Colorado  districts  are  excavated  in  the  cliff,  but  the  Mexican  stoiehouses  took  the  f^rm 
here  depicted,  which,  it  will  be  noticed,  is  really  a  large  inverted  water  jar. 

up.  In  this  way  the  food  was  protected  both  from  the  elements  and  from  any  ordinary  predatory 
animal. 

The  engraving  shows  the  appearance  of  one  of  these  masonry  granaries.  The  shape  is  peculiar, 
but  appropriate.  The  Indians'  power  to  change  and  adapt  forms  for  differing  uses  will  be  readily 
apparent  when  it  is  observed  that  this  is  merely  an  ordinarily  shaped  water-oUa,  or  jar,  turned 
upside  down  and  enlarged  to  the  required  size.  It  stands  nearly  twelve  feet  high  and  is  capable  of 
holding  what,  to  the  provident  Indians,  was  a  large  store  of  food. 

In  the  chff-dwellings  of  the  American  South-West,  in  Arizona,  Southern  Colorado,  etc.,  most  of 
the  granaries  are  built  into  the  walls  of  the  cliffs. 

The  Muir  Glacter.— While  studying  the  Mountains  of  California  (which  studies  he  afterwards 
embodied   in    a   book   of  this   title),   John  Muir  became  much  interested  in  glaciers.      At   that 


576 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


time  n»  one  believed  there  were  any  living  glaciers  in  California,  but  Muir,  with  the  spirit  of  the 
true  scientist,  set  to  work  to  prove  the  matter.  As  one  result  of  his  word-painting  one  of  the 
finest  and  best  of  the  glaciers  of  Glacier  Bay  was  named  after  him,  Muir  Glacier.  Steamers  going 
north  to  Sitka  frequently  enter  Cross  Sound  and  proceed  by  way  of  Icy  Straits  and  Chatham  to 
Peril.  In  the  warmest  months  Icy  Bay  is  filled  with  icebergs  floating  down  from  the  many  glaciers 
to  the  north.  Kate  Field  thus  describes  the  Muir  Glacier  :  "  Imagine  a  glacier  three  miles  wide 
and  three  hundred  feet  high.  Picture  a  background  of  mountains  fifteen  thousand  feet  high,  all 
snow-clad,  and  then  imagine  a  gorgeous  sun  fighting  up  the  ice-crystals  with  rainbow  colouring. 
The  face  of  the  glacier  takes  on  the  hue  of  aquamarine — the  hue  of  every  bit  of  floating  ice  that 
surrounds  the  steamer.  This  dazzling  serpent  moves  sixty-four  feet  a  day,  tumbling  headlong  into 
the  sea,  startling  the  ear  with  submarine  thunder." 


Photo  hy]  {.Dr.  A.  Shvfeldl. 

MUIR    GLACIER.    GLACIER    BAY.    ALASKA. 

Until  the  year  1900.  when  an  earthquake  broke  up  its  v««t  extent,  thi«  glacier  was  the  largest  in  the  world,  with  a  width  of 

over  three  miles.     Even  to-day  it  is  a  magnificent  palisade  of  crumpled  ice. 

Early  in  1900,  however,  disaster  befell  this  great  glacier.  Its  area  was  equal  to  the  state  of 
Rhode  Island,  and  it  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  extent  known,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most 
majestic  and  beautiful.  In  that  year  an  earthquake  shattered  its  glorious  frontal  face  and 
completely  changed  its  appearance. 

The  bergs  falling  from  the  shattered  front  of  the  glacier  completely  choked  up  Glacier  Bay, 
so  that  for  six  years  the  large  steamer  Spokane  could  not  approach  nearer  than  Marble  Island, 
thirteen  miles  from  the  glacier's  face.  Hence  visitors  were  deprived  of  the  pleasure  they  had 
enjoyed  in  the  past.  But  in  1907  a  steamer  entered  the  bay  and  found  it  free  from  ice. 
Approaching  the  great  glacier  they  found  it  shattered.  Its  once  opaHne  palisades  are  now  but 
a  field  of  crumpled  ice.  Its  great  towers,  turrets  and  walls  have  fallen,  and  it  is  a  mere 
spectre  of  its  former  grandeur. 


1^ 


1)  .t: 

^  « 

o  o 

u  a 


PS    ■* 

o 

H 


North   America 


577 


CHAPTEll   XVIII. 
By    GEORGE    WHARTON   JAMES. 

The  Cany)on  de  Chelty. — Just  on  the  borders  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  within  about  a  hundred 
miles  of  the  northern  line,  is  an  ancient  pueblo  region  full  of  fascination  and  attraction.  It  is  of  equal 
importance  with  the  Mancos  region,  before  described,  though  the  ruins  are  not  quite  as  large.  At  the 
time  the  United  States  sent  its  "  Army  of  the  West  "  to  the  subjugation  of  California,  in  1846,  and, 
later,  when  the  gold  hunters  of  1849  rushed  across  the  Continent,  vague  rumours  of  wonderful  cliff 
cities  reached  the  East.  But  as  the  Canyon  in  which  these  ruins  were  found  was  in  the  heart  of 
the  Navaho  Indian  country,  and  these  Indians  were  warlike  and  hostile,  exploration  was  practically 
impossible.  It  was  found  necessary,  however,  to  send  out  an  expedition  to  subjugate  the  Navahoes, 
and  the  troops  were  placed  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  J.  H.  Simpson,  and  to  this  enlightened 
officer's  report  the  world  at  large  owes  its  first  real  and  accurate  knowledge  of  these  remarkable 
aboriginal  ruins.  The  name  "  De  Chelly  "  suggests  a  French  origin.  This,  however,  is  a  pure 
error  in  transcribing  the  Navaho  name  for  the  place,  Tse-gi  (pronounced  Tsay-gy). 

The  country  in  which  the  Canyon  de  Chelly  occurs  is  a  plateau  country,  the  most  conspicuous 
feature  of  which  is  a  massive  bright  red  sandstone  formation  out  of  which  have  been  carved  the 
most  striking  canyons,  which  for  all  ages  will  be  a  wonder  and  a  delight  to  the  sons  of  men.  These 
canyons  are  the  Grand  Canyon  of  the  Colorado  River,  the  Canyon  de  Chelly,  the  Canyon  del  Muerto, 
and  the  lofty  pinnacles,  towers  and  domes  of  the  San  Juan  Country. 

The  Canyons  de  Chelly  and  Del  Muerto  run,  the  former  to  the  north-east  and  the  other  almost 
due  north.     From  De  Chelly  runs  another  canyon  to  the  south-east,  known  as  Monument  Canyon. 


Photo  by] 


lUndfricood  dc  Underieood. 
THE    CANYON    DE    CHELLY. 
The    walls   of    this    canyon    range    from   a    height   of    between    twenty    and    thirty    feet    at    it.    mouth    to    over    800    feel    at    it. 

juncture    with    Monument    Canyon. 

38 


578 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


When  it  is  known  that  in  these  three  Canyons  there  are  fully  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  different 
cliff-residences  in  ruins,  and  that  some  of  these  consist  of  many  rooms,  it  can  well  be^seen  that  quite 
a  population  must,  at  one  time,  have  found  refuge  here.  For,  as  I  fully  explained  in  writing  on  the 
Mancos  Canyon  ruins,  these  cliff-dwellings  were  the  places  of  refuge  of  a  pastoral  people  followed  and 
hunted  by  nomadic,  warlike  and  hostile  foes. 

Before  proceeding  to  a  description  of  the  ruins  of  the  Chelly  Canyon,  attention  must  be  called 
to  the  Canyons  themselves  in  which  they  occur.  Under  the  direction  of  the  United  States  Bureau 
of  Ethnology,  the  accomplished  ethnologist.  Cosmos  Mindeleff,  made  a  thorough  study  of  both 
canyons  and  ruins,  and  here  is  his  description  of  the  former  : 

"  At  its  mouth  the  walls  of  Canyon  de  Chelly  are  but  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high,  descending 


Photo  by  p-'nnUsion  uf\  \^the  oureau  of  American  Lthnoloiiy, 

CLIFF-DWELLINGS.    CANYON    DEL    MUERTO. 

Del  Muerto  is  a  branch  canyon  of  De  CKelley,     These  ruins  in  the   Eastern  Cove,   Mummy  Cave,  were  especially    constructed  for 

purposes  of  defence  ;  they  are  built  on  the  upper  part  of  the  canyon,  and  command  an  extensive  outlook. 

vertically  to  a  wide  bed  of  loose  white  sand,  and  absolutely  free  from  talus  or  debris.  Three  miles 
above  Del  Muerto  comes  in,  but  its  mouth  is  so  narrow  it  appears  like  an  alcove  and  might  easily 
be  overlooked.  Here  the  walls  are  over  two  hundred  feet  high,  but  the  rise  is  so  gradual  that  it 
is  impossible  to  appreciate  its  amount.  At  the  point  where  Monument  Canyon  comes  in,  thirteen 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  De  Chelly,  the  walls  reach  a  height  of  over  eight  hundred  feet,  about  one- 
third  of  which  consists  of  talus. 

"  The  rise  in  the  height  of  the  walls  is  so  gradual  that  when  the  Canyon  (Monument)  is  entered 
at  its  mouth  the  mental  scale  by  which  we  estimate  distances  and  magnitudes  is  lost  and  the  wildest 
conjectures  result.  We  fail  at  first  to  realize  the  stupendous  scale  on  which  the  work  was  done, 
and  when  we  do  finally  realize  it,  we  swing  to  the  opposite  side  and  exaggerate.  At  the  junction  of 
Monument  Canyon  there  is  a  beautiful  rock  pinnacle  or  needle  standing  out  clear  from  the  cliff  and 
not  more  than  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet  from  the  ground.     It  has  been  named,  in  conjunction 


Photo  by  pertnission  of] 


[Thf  Hni-fv:  ,1/  Ainrri.-nn    rjliiu'loiiy. 
THE    CLIFF-DWELLINGS.    CANYON    DE    CHELLY. 
These  are  some  of  the  finest  of  the    cliff   ruins.     It    is    supposed    thai   the  lower   house,    situated    on    the    bottom  land,  was  four  stories 
high,  and    so    was    continuous    with    the    upper   part    built    upon    the    cliffs    ledge.       It    is    called    Casa    Blanca.    which    in    the   Navahoes' 
language    is    Kini-na  e-kai. 


58o 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Photo  by  permission  of\  {Th^  lim-'-'w  vf  An 

CLIFF-DWELLINGS.    CANYON    DEL    MUERTO. 
This     cliff-dwelling    is     composed    of    about   twenty    rooms,     with     three    or     four    circular    chambers    used    as     stale    roomj    for 

worship,   and   called   "kivas." 

with  a  somewhat  similar  pinnacle  on  the  other  side  of  the  Canyon,  '  The  Captain,'  and  its  height 
has  been  variously  estimated  at  from  one  thousand  two  hundred  to  two  thousand  five  hundred 
feet."  It  actually  is  a  little  less  than  eight  hundred  feet.  Its  majesty  and  beauty  may  well  be 
seen  from  the  accompanying  illustration. 

Canyon  de  Chetty  Ruins. — Let  us  now  turn  to  the  cliff  ruins  whicli  have  given  the  canyon  its 
fame,  for  here  the  Indians  have  built  their  houses  and  have  lived  out  their  pathetic  lives.  Many 
of  them  have  also  found  burial  within  the  walls  that  they  themselves  had  helped  to  erect. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  canyon  the  whole  bottom  land  from  wall  to  wall  consists  of  an  unbroken 
stretch  of  sand.  A  little  higher  up  small  patches  of  alluvial  and  cultivatable  lands  appear, 
generally  in  recesses  and  coves  in  the  walls,  and  but  slightly  above  the  level  of  the  stream  bed. 
But  higher  up  still  these  areas  are  much  enlarged,  and  often  take  the  form  of  terraces  or  benches, 
most  of  them  well  raised  above  the  stream  bed,  even  as  high  as  ten  feet  above.  At  the  Casa  Blanca, 
seven  miles  up,  the  benches  are  well  marked  and  the  land  excellent.  Three  miles  above  Casa 
Blanca,  however,  the  talus  begins  to  appear  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  and  as  soon  as  this  comes  into 
evidence  the  patches  of  alluvium  grow  less  and  less,  until  they  finally  disappear. 

These  patches  of  land  gave  to  the  cliff-dwellers  their  chief  means  of  subsistence,  and  while 
protection  in  the  almost  inaccessible  cliffs  was  what  they  primarily  sought,  they  were  equally 
anxious  to  locate  themselves  near  to  the  land  on  which  they  could  grow  their  corn.  Yet,  strange 
to  say,  these  primitive  corn-growers  in  this  region  have  left  no  sign  that  they  irrigated  their  crops. 
Indeed,  it  would  have  been  practically  impossible  in  the  Canyon  del  Muerto,  owing  to  the  peculiar 
nature  of  the  stream  that  flows  down  it  during  the  rainy  season. 


North   America 


581 


The  occupation  of  the  chffs  was  merely  for  the  purpose  of  greater  protection  and  security  from 
nomad  and  hostile  tribes.  Some  ruins  are  found  on  bottom  land,  near  to  the  arable  areas  capable 
of  cultivation  ;  others  of  an  older  type  are  found  on  open  and  indefensible  sites  ;  still  others,  clustered 
as  villages,  and  located  for  defence  chiefly  ;  while  a  fourth  class  are  mainly  cliff  outlooks  or  shelter 
places  to  which  the  farmers  might  run  in  case  of  sudden  attack. 

The  accompanying  illustration  on  page  580  gives  a  good  representation  of  the  first  of  this 
classification.  It  is  the  largest  ruin  of  this  character  in  Canyon  del  Muerto.  There  are  standing 
walls  three  stories  high,  and  the  masonry  shows  excellent  workmanship.  The  back  cliff  has  not 
entered  into  the  plans  of  the  builders  to  the  extent  that  it  generally  does.  There  are  about  twenty 
rooms  and  three  or  four  kivas — the  latter  being  the  circular  chambers  used  in  worship  or 
ceremonials.  Most  of  the  rooms  are  rectangular  and  fairly  regularly  arranged,  though  small.  Only 
one  room  still  preserves  its  roof  intact.  In  the  centre  of  the  ruins  is  a  kiva,  over  thirty-six  feet 
in  diameter;  this  is  exceptionally  large,  and  it  is  probable  it  was  never  roofed.  Inside  this 
structure  were  found  several  burial  cists  made  by  the  Navahoes  in  recent  years.  West  of  this  large 
kiva  were  two  others,  about  twenty  feet  in  diameter  ;  one  being  circular  in  form  and  the  other 
more  nearly  approaching  an  oval. 

One  of  the  most  important  and  strikingly  picturesque  of  the  ruins  is  called  Casa  Blanca  (Spanish 
for  "  White  House  ").  The  ruin  consists  of  two  parts — a  lower,  comprising  a  large  cluster  of  rooms 
on  the  bottom  land  against  the  vertical  cliff,  and  an  upper  part,  which  was  much  smaller  and  occupied 
a  cave  directly  over  the  lower  portion  and  was  separated  from  it  only  by  some  thirty-five  feet  of 
vertical  cliff.  There  is  every  evidence  that  the  lower  settlement  was  four  stories  high,  and,  there- 
fore, reached  to  the  upper  settlement,  so  that  the  house  was  practically  continuous.     The  lower 


I'holo  by  permission  o/]  [Tlie  Bureau  o/  American  Ethnology. 

NAVAHO    BURIAL    CIST,    CANYON    DEL    MUERTO. 

These    burial    urns,    of    wKich    one    of    tfie    best-preserved    specimens    is    here   shown,    were  built  by  a  race  later   than  the  original    cliff 

dwellers.     There  are  hundreds  of  them,  and  they  probably  explain  the  name  of  "  Canyon  del   Muerto  "  -  the  Canyon  of  the  Dead. 


582 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


ruin  covers  an  area  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  by  fifty  feet,  raised  but  slightly  above  the 
bottom  land.  The  remains  of  forty-five  rooms  and  a  circular  kiva  can  easily  be  identified.  On 
the  east  side  some  of  the  remaining  walls  are  twelve  and  fourteen  feet  in  height. 

From  the  fact  that  within 
the  lower  ruins  there  are  found 
some  adobe  walls,  and  also  the 
remains  of  a  peculiar  construc- 
tion known  to  the  Mexicans  as 
jacal,  it  has  been  inferred  that 
after  the  ruins  were  abandoned, 
some  time,  perhaps,  in  the 
seventeenth  century,  a  people 
other  than  the  original  builders 
occupied  them.  There  are  four 
Navaho  burial  cists  in  these 
ruins,  and  while  three  of  them 
are  broken  down  and  in  ruins, 
tliey  undoubtedly  come  later 
even  than  the  adobe  additions 
referred  to. 

Of  those  ruins  unquestion- 
ably constructed  for  defence, 
the  finest  example  in  the  whole 
region  is  in  Canyon  del  Muerto, 
and  is  known  as  the  Mummy 
Cave  ruin.  It  is  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  canyon  and  com- 
mands an  extensive  outlook. 
The  principal  structure  in  the 
Eastern  Cove  is  the  kiva,  around 
the  interior  of  which  was  a 
bench  of  stone,  extending  com- 
pletely around  the  circuit :  and 
above  this,  on  the  wall,  is  a 
remarkable  decorative  band, 
the  purpose  of  which  was 
mainly  to  show  the  assembled 
priests  the  direction  of  the 
cardinal  points.  To  this  day, 
in  many  of  the  ceremonies  of 
the  pueblo  Indians,  it  is  absolutely  essential  to  the  right  conduct  of  the  worship  that  at  certain 
times  offerings,  etc.,  must  be  made  to  the  powers  that  control  the  cardinal  points.  Hence 
the  necessity  of  clearly  and  positively  indicating  where  these  are.  The  ruins  have  long  been 
used  by  the  Navahoes  for  burial  places,  hence,  doubtless,  the  origin  of  the  name  by  which 
they  are  known. 

In  the  building  of  many  of  the  cliff-structures  the  walls  were  allowed  to  rest  on  refuse,  rocks, 
etc.,  without  any  attempt  to  clear  away  the  site.  This  fact  and  the  crude  method  of  building  is 
easily  discernible,  though  it  must  not  be  assumed  that  all  the  work  was  done  in  this  indifferent  fashion. 
Some  of  the  masonry  is  beautifully  laid,  even  though  the  material  be  not  of  the  best.     An  attempt 


Photo  hy"]  IT/ie  Detroit  Photographic  Co. 

THE    AGASSIZ    COLUMN.    YOSEMITE    VALLEY. 

Named  after  the  great  naturalist,  this  imposing  shaft  of  granite  is  eighty-five  feet 
high.  Erosion  has  worn  its  base  to  an  apex,  which,  however  insecure  it  may  look. 
will    yet    stand    the    wear   and    tear   of   many    centuries. 


{The  nttroit  Phologmphic  Co. 


Photo  byl 

THE    YOSEMITE    FALLS.    YOSEMITE    VALLEY, 

This  magnificent  body  of  water  fias  a  width  of  thirty-five  feet  at  its  highest    ledge,  and   descends  to  the  valley  in  three    leaps  to  a 
depth  of  2,500  feet       The  volume  of  water  is  greatest  in  early  summer. 


584 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


Photo  hy'l 

THE    THREE 


[The  lift  rait  l'liolo;irap/iic  Co. 
BROIHERS.    YOSEMITE. 


The  Navaho    Indian    name    for  these    heights    is    Pom- 
pom-pa-8U8,  or  the  Mountains  playing  Leap-frog. 


Photo  bt/J  [The  Lflroil  I'hologl-aphic  Co. 

EL    CAPITAN.    YOSEMITE. 

This  north-western  buttress  of  the  canyon  is  one  of  the 
most  ftrilcinK  objects  of  the  valley.  Its  bare  and  almost 
vertical  cliff  allows,  only  the  adventurous  to  reach  its 
summit 


at  regularity,  and,  possibly,  at  decorative  effect,  is 
apparent  in  the  uses  of  courses  of  fairly  uniform 
thickness,  alternating  with  other  courses  or  belts 
composed  of  small  thin  fragments. 

The  illustration  on  page  581  shows  one  of  the 
Navaho  burial  cists  found  in  the  ruins.  The 
number  of  these  is  remarkable,  there  being  literally 
hundreds  of  them — hence,  doubtless,  the  name  of 
the  tributary  canyon  to  Chelly,  "Canyon  del 
Muerto  " — the  Canyon  of  the  Dead.  These  cists 
are  built  usually  in  a  corner,  or  against  a  wall  of  a 
cliff-dweller's  house,  but  sometimes  against  a  cliff 
wall,  and  occasionally  stand  out  alone.  The  masonry 
is  always  rough,  much  inferior  to  the  old  walls 
against  which  it  generally  rests,  and  usually  very 
flimsy.  The  structures  are  dome-shaped  when  stand- 
ing alone,  or  in  the  shape  of  a  section  of  a  dome 
when  placed  against  other  walls. 

The  Yosemite  Valley. — Ever  since  this  valley 
was  discovered  by  white  men  in  1850  it  has  been 
regarded  as  one  of  the  picturesque  wonders  of  the 
world. 

The  name  Yo-sem-i-te,  is  pronounced  in  four 
syllables  as  indicated,  with  accent  on  the  second, 
and  is  a  corruption  of  the  Indian  "  Yo-ham-i-te," 
which  signifies  "the  Destroyer" — this  being  the 
poetic  way  these  Indians  had  of  describing  their 
arch-enemy,  the  grizzly  bear.  Hence  Yosemite  in 
reahty  means  the  Grizzly  Bear,  and  in  the  earlier 
days  of  its  discovery  many  of  these  giant  monarchs 
of  the  High  Sierras  were  found  within  its  borders. 
It  is  only  a  few  years  since  the  Yosemite  Valley 
Railroad  was  built,  reaching  from  the  main  line  of 
the  Southern  Pacific  at  Merced  to  El  Portal,  just  on 
the  northern  border  of  the  Yosemite  reservation. 
And  now  the  stage  ride  into  the  valley  extends  for 
some  ten  or  twelve  miles,  although  one  really  enters 
the  valley  within  three  or  four  miles  after  leaving 
El  Portal.  The  Yosemite  never  disappoints.  No 
matter  how  exalted  the  expectation  be,  it  never 
transcends  the  reality.  Whether  first  seen  from 
Inspiration  Point,  Old  Inspiration  Point,  or  Artist's 
Point,  a  wonderful  view  always  arrests  the  attention 
of  the  traveller. 

On  the  floor  of  the  valley  are  trees  in  richest 
leafage  and  astonishing  variety,  through  the  green 
of  which,  here  and  there,  can  be  seen  the  silvery 
glint  of  the  Merced  River.  The  Bridal  Veil  Falls,  to 
the  right,   descend   over  the  ledge  of  granite    rock 


North  America 


585 


white  and  ethereal,  and  seem  to  drop  in  a 
tenuous  film  into  the  tree-tops,  appearing 
small  and  feeble  at  first,  so  overpowering 
is  the  impression  of  the  mightier  wall.  Its 
location  is  such  that  it  catches  the  incoming 
breezes,  and  the  wind,  getting  between  the 
fall  and  the  wall  behind,  seems  to  dissipate 
the  water  in  lace-like  veil,  breaking  to  rain- 
bow hues  in  the  fire  of  the  sun,  adding 
diamond-like  brilliancy  to  the  first  im- 
pression of  shimmering  whiteness.  As 
soon  as  the  spectator  approaches  closer, 
however,  he  gains  a  new  sense — that  of  its 
mighty  power. 

The  Indians  call  this  "  Po-ho-no  "  (the 
Spirit  of  the  Evil  Wind),  in  this  way  giving 
expression  to  the  peculiar  fact  to  which  I 
have  called  attention.  In  the  ripple  of 
the  water  the  Indians  think  they  hear 
Po-ho-no's  voice,  and  in  the  spray  discern 
his  mocking  features  and  the  wraiths  of 
the  maidens  and  hunters  he  has  trapped 
on  the  slippery  mosses  at  the  head 
of  the  fall  and  dragged  down  to  de- 
struction. 

The  most  dominant  feature  on  entering 
the  valley,  however,  is  El  Capitan.  The 
Indians  call  it  "Totokonula"  (the  Great 
Chief  or  Captain  of  the  Valley).  It  is  a 
solid  mass  of  granite,  without  a  crack  or 
break,  and  if  it  were  tilted  forward  it 
would  cover  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 
It  is  an  inland  Gibraltar,  standing  so  long 
as  man  shall  know  it  as  the  type  of  massive 
stability  reinforcing  man's  courage  and 
strength  and  urging  him  to  be  firm  and 
enduring  as  this  austere  and  silent  granite 
mass.  Just  beyond  El  Capitan  are  the 
Three  Brothers,  far  more  poetically  called 
by  the  Indians  "  Pom-pom-pa-sus "  (the 
Mountains  playing  Leap-frog). 

About  midway  up  the  valley  is  the 
greatest  source  of  attraction  of  all,  the 
great  Yosemite  Falls.  Seen  in  the  spring, 
when  in  the  full  flow  of  its  early  waters,  it 
is  the  highest  waterfall  in  the  world  with 
anything  like  the  same  body  of  water.  It  is 
a  stream  thirty-five  feet  wide,  which  plunges 
down    sixteen   hundred   feet  in  one  direct 


l*/ioto  bt/l 

THE    HANGING 

This   rock    is    situated   on 

from    the   Three    Brothers.     It 


[7'A^  Detroit  Photographic  Co. 
ROCK.    GLACIER    POINT, 
the    south    side   of   the    valley,    two    miles 
tffords  a  magnificent    view    over    the     whole 


valley    to   the    distant    snow-capped    Sierra    Nevada. 


586 


1  he   Wonders   of   the   World 


vertical  descent,  then  for  six  hundred  feet  it  roars  in  a  majestic  series  of  cascades  to  the  head 
of  the  lower  fall,  where  it  makes  another  direct  vertical  leap  of  four  hundred  feet.  Its  roar  and 
crash  are  heard  for  miles,  and  when  one  stands  still  and  listens  there  are  times  when  the 
ponderous  weight  of  its  fal'  fairly  shakes  the  floor  of  the  valley.     There  is  no  doubt  but  that, 

originally,  it  fell  the  sheer  three  thousand 
feet  of  the  north  wall,  but  at  some  period, 
the  wall  was  shattered  as  it  is  now  found. 
Beauty  and  power  are  both  personified  in 
this  peerless  fall.  Its  winter  glory  is  even 
more  beautiful,  in  some  respects,  than  its 
spring  freshness.  Everything  surrounding 
it  is  robed  in  virgin  purity ;  the  spray  it 
casts  covers  the  very  snow  with  a  delicate 
frosting  that  is  indeed  a  "  painting  of  the 
lily."  A  cone  of  solid  ice,  five  hundred  and 
more  feet  high,  accumulates  at  the  base 
of  the  upper  fall,  and  I  have  seen  icicles 
hang  six  times  as  high  as  the  whole  depth 
of  Niagara. 

Directly  opposite  the  Yosemite  Falls  is 
Sentinel  Dome,  with  its  peculiar  cap  of 
conoidal,  or  onion-like  layers,  towering  four 
thousand  one  hundred  and  forty-two  feet 
above  the  floor  beneath. 

A  little  further  up  and  beyond  Sentinel 
Dome,  the  south  wall  thrusts  out  a  rugged 
shoulder,  well  named  Glacier  Point.  At  no 
other  point  is  the  wall  so  bare  and  sheer, 
and  you  look  up,  almost  from  its  solid  foot, 
three  thousand  two  hundred  and  thirty-four 
feet.  The  flag  which  sometimes  floats  from 
the  brink  of  the  precipice  is  eighteen  feet 
long,  yet  it  is  seen  dimly  and  appears  no 
larger  than  a  lady's  handkerchief.  This  is  a 
favourite  outlook  point,  and  an  iron  railing 
has  been  placed,  so  as  to  afford  "sheer 
down  "  views  with  security.  It  is  easily 
reached  on  horse-  or  mule-back  by  one  of  two 
wonderfully  engineered  zigzag  trails,  one  of  which  passes  Union  Point,  two  thousand  three  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  above  the  river.  Just  below  is  Agassiz  Column,  named  after  the  great  naturalist.  It 
is  an  imposing  shaft  of  granite,  eighty-five  feet  high,  but  its  base  is  so  eroded  that  it  looks  as  if  it 
would  give  way  and  let  the  column  above  fall  ere  long.  Yet  it  is  doubtless  stable  for  many  centuries 
yet  to  come. 

The  Royal  Arches  are  near  the  head  of  the  valley,  in  the  vast  vertical  wall  whose  highest  summit  is 
North  Dome.  The  arches  are  recessed  curves  in  the  granite  front,  very  impressive  because  of  their 
size,  and  made  by  the  action  of  frost.  Much  of  the  rock  here  is  formed  in  layers  like  the  structure 
of  an  onion,  and  the  arches  are  the  fractured  edges  of  these  layers.  Washington's  Column  is  the 
angle  of  the  wall  at  this  point — a  tower  completing  the  massive  wall  at  the  very  head  of  the 
valley. 


Phnto  6y]  \The  iiouthern  Pacific  Co. 

LIBERTY    CAP.    YOSEMITE. 

In    the   distance    rises   the    mighty    granite   mass  of    Liberty  Cap.  while 

nearer  the  spectator  are  the  Vernal  and  Nevada  Falls.     These  two  cascades 

are  little  inferior  to  the    YoFemile    Falls,  and    the    forested    waterway  makes 

a   setting    of    exquisite    beauty. 


I 


■N'T?* 


t 


From  Stereo  copyright  by']  {['ndervood  d'  Utiderieood. 

RED    MOUNTAIN     CRATER,     ARIZONA 
At    one    time    an    active    volcano,    this    mountain    is    to-day    only   a    picturesque    height    o(    red    volcanic    ash.    rising    from    the    great 
Painted    Desert     in    ths    north-west    of     Arizona,        The    activities    of    a   bygone    age    have     rent     its     mass     into    these    great    fissures    and 
caverns   and    corridors. 


588 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


Over  against  it,  but  looking  down  the  valley,  stands  the  highest  rock. of  all  the  region — the 
great  South  Dome,  or  Half  Dome,  as  it  is  often  called.  It  is  eight  thousand  nine  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  feet  above  sea-level,  or  nearly  live  thousand  feet  above  the  valley.  Its  massive  front  is  cleft 
straight  down  for  about  two  thousand  feet,  and  the  fractured  face  turned  outward  is  polished  by 
wind  and  storm.  The  side  of  the  Half  Dome  turned  toward  the  south-west  has  the  curve  of  a  great 
helmet  and  is  so  smooth  and  precipitous  as  to  almost  defy  the  most  adventurous  mountain  climber. 
Milton  wrote  of 

"  A  rock  piled  up  to  the  clouds, 
Conspicuous  afar," 

and  this  certainly  describes  the  Half  Dome.  After  one  has  passed  El  Capitan  this  is  the  dominant 
feature  of  the  Valley.  For  the  Half  Dome  has  no  counterpart  as  far  as  is  known,  either  in  these 
mountains  or  elsewhere.  Its  name  suggests  what  its  appearance  indicates,  viz.,  that  in  some  giant 
convulsion  it  has  been  split  directly  through  its  vertical  axis.  Where  has  the  other  half  gone  ? 
As  the  Spaniards  say,  Quien  sabe  ? — who  knows  ?  The  Indian  name  for  it  is  Tissayac,  or  the  Goddess 
of  the  Valley.  / 

Even  yet  the  wonders  of  the  Yosemite  are  not  exhausted,  for  returning  to  where  we  turned 
to  follow  Tenaya  Creek,  we  find  the  more  attractive  side  or  branch  gorge  on  the  south,  and  take 
the  beautiful  bridle-path.  It  leads  us  along  the  rushing  Merced  River,  past  the  Happy  Isles 
and  along  the  bottom  of  a  wild  canyon  and  beside  titanic  walls.  Panorama  Rock  is  four 
thousand  feet  above  the  river,  almost  perpendicular,  and  at  once  the  highest  and  most  continuous 
wall  of  the  Yosemite.  From  here  the  Vernal  Falls  can  be  seen,  and  the  river,  nearly  eighty  feet 
wide,  drops  sheer  down  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet.     The  spray  is  driven  outward  like  smoke. 


Photo  by  permission  of] 


IThe  Sovlhern  Pacific  Co. 
MARIPOSA:     BIG    TREE    GROVE.    CALIFORNIA. 
"The    Fallen    Monarch."    as    this    tree    is    named,    is   one   of    the   largest    specimens    in    this    forest   of    giant    trees.     It    is   computed 

to    be   about  8,000    years   old. 


North   America 


589 


and  everything  of  plant  and  grass,  moss  and  fern,  is  kept 
vividly  green  by  the  incessant  baptism.  The  trail  leads 
directly  to  the  top  of  the  fall. 

A  little  beyond — less  than  a  mile — is  Nevada  Falls, 
where  the  same  stream  plunges  downward  seven  hundred 
feet.  The  great  snowy  torrent  glances  from  sloping  rock 
about  midway  just  enough  to  make  a  compound  curve. 
The  setting  of  the  fall  is  impressive — Great  Liberty  Cap, 
a  granite  pile,  rises  more  than  two  thousand  feet  above 
the  pool,  with  Mount  Broderick  just  back  of  it  and  the 
Half  Dome  near  at  hand. 

The  Red  Crater,  Arizona. — In  Northern  Arizona,  the 
Santa  Fe  railway  passes  on  the  edge  of  one  of  the  most 
wonderful  lava  regions  of  the  world.  Indeed,  there  are 
three  lava  flows  here,  known  to  but  few  scientists,  all  of 
which  are  vast  in  extent  and  wondrous  in  their  varied 
manifestations.  Here,  twenty  miles  to  the  north-east,  is 
Sunset  Crater,  a  volcanic  cone,  the  scoricC  of  which  are  of 
a  brilliant  peach-bloom  colour. 

Near  by  is  O'Leary  Peak,  another  volcanic  cone, 
several  thousand  feet  high,  made  of  completely  black 
rock,  without  a  blade  of  grass  even  to  relieve  its  sombre- 
ness.  The  rock  of  which  the  crater  is  composed  has 
become  disintegrated  with  the  weathering  of  the  years, 
and  is  now  exactly  like  gunpowder  of  large-sized  grains. 
Furthermore,  there  are  the  lava  beds  with  a  variety  of 
forms ;  in  one  place  the  half-solid  lava  has  been  rent  in 
such  peculiar  fashion  that  now  it  has  cooled  it  suggests 
gigantic  black  cauliflowers.  No  wonder  that  the  cowboys 
who  first  saw  it  called  this  portion  of  it  "  the  devil's 
cauliflower  patch."  This  lava  region  is  on  the  very  edge 
of  the  Painted  Desert. 

Another  most  interesting  feature  of  this  desert  is  the 
Red  Mountain  Crater,  to  the  north  of  the  San  Francisco 
peaks.  The  Grand  Canyon  is  forty  miles  to  the  north 
of  it,  and  the  province  of  Tusayan  (where  live  the  Hopi 
Indians)  is  seventy  miles  to  the  north-east.  Forty  or 
fifty  miles  to  the  north-west  is  Havasu  (or  cataract)  Can- 
yon (one  of  the  tributaries  of  the  Grand  Canyon),  where 
dwell  the  Havasupai  Indians,  to  which  tribe  I  was  duly  inducted  as  a  member  twenty-five  years 
ago.  In  one  of  my  hunts  with  the  leaders  of  the  tribe  we  came  to  this  rugged  red  mound,  or  hillock, 
several  hundred  feet  high,  with  clumps  of  juniper  and  pinion  scattered  here  and  there.  Our  canteens 
were  empty,  our  tongues  parched,  our  faces  scorched  with  the  heat  of  the  afternoon  sun.  I  knew 
that  every  water-hole  or  pocket,  as  well  as  every  hidden  spring,  was  known  to  my  Havasupai 
brothers,  so  I  did  not  question  that  we  were  going  to  where  water  was  to  be  found.  Yet  as  we 
climbed  the  rugged  slopes  of  blood-red  rock,  shattered  and  broken  by  the  storms  and  weatherings 
of  centuries,  and  pictured  what  was  evidently  the  history  of  the  mound,  it  seemed  impossible 
that  we  could  find  water  here.  I  saw  how  that  in  the  period  of  the  volcanic  activity  of  the  region 
this  very  mound  was  slowly  built  up  by  the  flowing  lava  which  cast  its  lurid  flames  and  weird 


Phofo  1)y  permission  of]  {The  Sonfhern  Pacijic  Co. 

MARIPOSA:    BIG    TREE    GROVE. 

This,  ihe  Grizzly  Giant,  is  the  finest  specimen  of 
Sequoia  Oigantea.  It  is  situated  in  the  Lower  Grove 
of  Mariposa  and  has  a  girth  of  ninety-four  feet. 


590 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


smoke  shadows  over  the  surrounding  country.  This  was  followed  by  the  slow  cooling  of  the 
volcano.  And  as  the  years  sped  by,  the  rocks  were  beaten  upon  by  storms,  chiselled  by  snow  and 
ice,  and  cracked  and  broken  by  atmospheric  gases.  More  sand  choked  up  the  vent,  and  finally  a 
small  pool  was  formed  in  the  crater  which  the  rays  of  the  sun  seldom  reach.  Here  the  snows  and 
rains  of  winter  are  stored  and  the  supply  lasts  long  into  the  year. 

One  peculiar  effect  of  the  geologic  degradation  of  the  cone  is  that  the  crater  has  become  a  tangled 
maze  of  aisles  and  corridors.  But  it  is  an  uncanny  place  ;  the  walls  appear  ready  to  crumble  and 
fall  and  all  sound  is  swallowed  up  in  their  porous  substance.     Should  one  call  to  his  friend  a  little 

distance  away,  it  is  probable  no  sound 
would  reach  him,  so  soon  are  the  vibra- 
tions absorbed  in  the  rocks. 

I  have  watched  the  wild  animals  of 
the  desert  water  here — coyotes,  foxes, 
skunks,  antelopes,  deer,  bear,  wild 
turkeys,  cottontails  and  jack-rabbits — 
and  they  have  shared  its  water  with  the 
roaming  Indian  for  centuries,  until  at  last 
the  white  man  came,  "  filed  "  upon  it, 
fenced  it  in  and  appropriated  every  drop 
of  the  water  for  his  own  use  or  that  of 
his  flocks  and  herds. 

The  Big  Trees  of  California. — All 
the  great  poets  of  the  world  have  sung  of 
trees  and  forests,  and  all  peoples  have 
found  delight  in  them.  England  has  sung 
for  a  thousand  years  of  its  oaks,  and  I 
well  remember  going  to  see  the  monarch 
of  Cranbourne  Lodge,  in  Windsor  Forest, 
the  great  oak  that,  if  I  remember  aright, 
measured  thirty  or  more  feet  around 
the  base.  The  Norwegians  have  their 
tomarachs,  firs,  spruces  and  pines,  the 
Australians  their  eucalyptus,  the  South 
Americans  their  mahogany,  the  Japanese 
their  bamboo.  But  for  majesty,  age, 
size  of  height  and  girth,  the  world  must 
pause  in  reverent  adoration,  all  com- 
petition eliminated,  before  the  Sequoia 
Gigantea — the  big  trees  of  California. 

There  are  two  varieties  of  these  trees, 
and  they  are  found  nowhere  else  in  the  world,  and  each  has  marked  habits  that  clearly  distinguish 
them.  The  real  big  tree  is  the  gigantea.  It  is  found  only  on  the  western  slopes  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  generally  never  below  four  thousand  feet  and  seldom  above  six  thousand  five  hundred 
feet  above  sea  level. 

The  smaller  variety  of  the  big  tree  is  the  sequoia  sempervirens,  or  everlasting  redwood.  This  tree 
never  wanders  far  from  the  coast.  It  is  found  in  seven  counties  only,  and  never  more  than  twenty 
to  thirty  miles  from  the  sea.  One  reason  for  its  name — and  its  brother  the  sequoia  gigantea  partakes 
of  this  same  quality — is  that  it  may  be  burned  until  every  limb  is  severely  scarred  with  fire — nay, 
until  not  a  single  limb  remains  upon  it ;    yet  such  is  the  thickness  and  imperviousness  of  its  bark. 


From  Sterfo  t-opyrujht  hy']  lUnderwood  &  UncUncood. 

THE     FAITHFUL    COUPLE.    CALIFORNIA. 

A  view  of  twin  trees,   looking  up  their  shaft.       This    giant  and  giantess 

of  California  are  two  distinct  trees  although  united  in  trunk. 


;^i^-:i^i: 


From  Stereo  cupufi'ih!  >•<,  ]  [II.  C.  White  Co. 

"  Vermont  "    and    "  ^^'awona." 


i'livliiti  hi/  j>f/'niissin>l  "/j 

"Lincoln"    and    "Washington."  "  Wawona  ' 

BIG    TREES    IN    THE    MARIPOSA    GROVE.    CALIFORNIA 


[Thr  Sjulltrrn  J'tu-ijic  Co. 


592 


The  Wonders   of  the  World 


that  in  a  year  or  two  it  will 
send  out  new  shoots  and  thus, 
though  apparently  dead,  spring 
back  into  newness  of  life. 

The  name  Sequoia  is  from 
Sequoyah,  who  was  a  Cherokee 
Indian  of  mixed  blood,  better 
known  by  his  English  name 
of  George  Guess.  He  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  born  about 
1770  in  Will's  Valley,  in  the 
north-eastern  corner  of  Ala- 
bama, then  occupied  by  the 
Cherokees.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  abihty  and  invented  an 
alphabet  for  his  tribe  and 
taught  them  to  write  it.  When 
his  tribe  was  driven  beyond 
the  Mississippi  he  went  with 
his  people,  and  died,  in  1843, 
in  New  Mexico. 

Out  of  the  eight  or  nine 
groves  of  the  gigantea  visited 
by  travellers,  the  ones  easiest 
reached  are  the  Mariposa 
and  Calaveras  Groves.  The 
former  is  generally  visited  in 
conjunction  with  the  trip  to 
the  Yosemite  Valley,  being  in  reality  an  easy  side  trip  of  one  day  from  the  Valley.  Tiie  most 
attractive  tree  of  all  is  the  Grizzly  Giant,  the  only  sohtary  tree  of  any  great  age  in  the  grove.  It 
stands  straight,  solemn,  unique,  alone,  without  a  branch  for  quite  a  height,  then  giving  out  a 
number,  the  diameter  of  some  of  which  is  fully  six  feet.  It  is  ninety-three  feet  seven  inches  in 
circumference  at  the  ground,  and  sixty-four  feet  three  inches  at  eleven  feet  above.  Its  two 
diameters  at  the  base  are  about  thirty  and  thirty-one  feet,  while  the  estimated  diameter  at  eleven 
feet  high  is  twenty  feet.  It  is  much  decreased  from  its  original  size  by  burning,  and  no  allowance 
for  this  has  been  given  in  these  measurements.  While  it  seems  to  be  hoary  with  old  age,  John  Muir 
contends  that  it  is  merely  a  mature  tree,  for  it  ripens  its  cones  with  great  regularity. 

These  cones  are  exceedingly  beautiful,  and  very  small  for  so  large  a  tree,  and  the  remarkable 
fact  about  them  is  that  the  seed  is  about  the  same  in  size  and  appearance  as  the  seed  of  the  parsnip. 
Of  the  age  of  the  big  trees  the  most  recent  scientific  authorities  have  made  statements  that  are 
startling.  We  look  upon  the  Pyramids  and  Sphinx  as  most  ancient  memorials,  yet  long  before  the 
time  of  the  Pharaohs  who  built  these  wonderful  structures  the  big  trees  were  growing  and  were 
tall  and  strong.  There  are  no  known  memorials  of  man  so  ancient  as  they,  and  nothing  hving  can 
equal  them  in  age.  Indeed,  David  Starr  Jordan,  the  President  of  the  Leland  Stanford,  Jr.,  Univer- 
sity of  California,  who  is  as  learned  a  botanist  and  biologist  as  he  is  ichthyologist  and  college 
president,  affirms  that  some  of  them  are  fully  seven  and  even  eight  thousand  years  old. 

The  trunk  of  the  big  tree  is  columnar,  fluted  perpendicularly,  and  in  appearance  and  colour 
varies  from  a  very  light  brown  to  cinnamon.  The  older  trees  usually  have  little  foliage  for  the  first 
hundred  feet,  save  feathery  sprays.     The  rule  is  not  absolute,  however,  and  some  of  the  larger  trees, 


Photo  hy-]  [//.  C. 

A     BURIAL    VAULT.     MANILA,     PHILIPPINE     ISLANDS. 
Burial   in  many  parts  of  Southern  America    that    have  been    influenced    by    Spanish    rule 
is  performed  by  placing  the   deceased  in  a  numbered  niche  of  a   corridor  or  burial  chamber. 
When    the    annual  fee    for    the  niche  is  no  longer  paid,  the  bones  are  cast   into  the   common 
vault  such  as  is  seen  here. 


North  America 


593 


especially  those  in  exposed  places,  branch 
near  the  earth.  The  Hmbs  reach  an  enor- 
mous size,  one,  eighty  feet  from  the  ground 
on  the  Grizzly  Giant  in  the  Mariposa  Grove, 
having  a  diameter  of  nearly  seven  feet. 

While  the  Mariposa  Grove  is  the  grove 
most  visited  owing  to  its  close  proximity  to 
Yosemite,  the  other  groves  are  well  worth  a 
visit,  especially  the  Calaveras  Grove  and 
the  recently  discovered  California  Grove. 
This  latter  is  commonly  known  as  Redwood 
Mountain,  and  lies  in  a  beautiful  basin  at 
the  foot  of  Little  Baldy  Mountain,  on 
gently  sloping  hillsides  of  easy  access,  and 
where  there  are  hundreds  of  fine  camping 
places  near  to  the  silvery  streams  where 
trout  live  in  abundance.  The  government 
gangers  have  counted  over  eight  thousand 
sequoia  gigantea  in  this  grove  alone. 

The  Calaveras  Grove  was  long  the  prin- 
cipal grove  visited,  and  hence  in  the  litera- 
ture on  the  subject  written  by  travellers 
from  other  countries  it  is  by  far  the  oftenest 
described  and  is  the  best  known.  Here  one 
certainly  sees  most  wonderful  trees,  and  the 
methods  used  to  demonstrate  their  gigantic 
size  make  a  deep  impression  upon  the  minds 
of  all.  It  contains  ten  trees  thirty  feet  in 
diameter  and  over  seventy  that  are  between 
fifteen  and  thirty  feet. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  specimens  is 
the  fallen  "  Father  of  the  Forest."  Standing 
near  its  uprooted  base  the  scene  is  grand 
beyond  description.  The  "Father"  has 
long  since  bowed  his  head  in  the  dust,  yet 
how  stupendous  he  is  even  in  his  ruin  !  He 
measures  one  hundred  and  twelve  feet  in 
circumference  at  the  base,  and  can  be 
traced  three  hundred  feet  where  the  trunk 
was  broken  by  falling  against  another  tree  ; 
it  here  measures  sixteen  feet  in  diameter, 
and  according  to  the  average  taper  of  the 
other  trees  this  venerable  giant  must  have 
been  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height 
when  standing.  A  hollow  chamber  or  burnt 
cavity  extends  through  the  trunk  two 
hundred  feet,  large  enough  for  a  person  to 
ride  through  on  a  good-sized  horse  ;  near  its 
base  a  never-failing  spring  of  water  is  found. 


»«»-- 


,,;„„„  ,,„-|  irif  IMnnt  rUulu.iiaphic  Co. 

A    TOTEM    POLE    IN    SEATTLE.    WASHINGTON. 

This    fine    specimen    was    brought    from    Alaska    and    erected    in 


Pioneer   Square 


39 


594 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Ninety  yards  east  is  a  duster  of  three  trees,  one  of  them  named  after  Thomas  Starr  King,  the 
preacher  patriot  of  CaUfornia,  and  the  two  others  after  the  eminent  Enghshmen,  Richard  Cobden 
and  John  Bright.  The  three  nearest  to  the  hotel  were  named  after  three  noted  Generals  of  the 
United  States  Army  during  the  Civil  War.  U.  S.  Grant,  W.  T.  Sherman  and  J.  B.  McPherson. 

The  "  Miners'  Cabin  "  was  blown  down  in  a  terrific  gale  in  November,  i860.  It  is  three  hundred 
and  nineteen  feet  long  and  twenty-one  and  a  half  feet  in  diameter.     Two  hundred  feet  away  are 

the  "  Three  Graces,"  a  group  of  three  trees, 
close  together  in  a  straight  line,  and  by 
many  regarded  as  the  most  beautiful  cluster 
in  the  grove. 

There  are  "  Sir  Joseph  Hooker,"  "  John 
Lindley  " — two  noted  English  botanists, 
and  near  by,  "  Humboldt." 

To  merely  catalogue  all  the  trees  of 
noticeable  size  and  name  would  be  to  fill 
up  several  pages. 

Of  the  sequoia  sempervirens  there  are 
two  groups  constantly  visited.  One  is  a 
small  privately  owned  grove  on  the  line  of 
the  Southern  Pacific  to  Santa  Cruz,  where 
a  small  entrance  fee  is  charged,  and  the 
other  is  the  "  State  Park,"  so  called  because 
it  was  purchased  a  few  years  ago  by  the 
State  of  California,  so  that  a  large  number 
of  these  trees  might  be  kept  in  their  original 
condition  for  all  time.  It  is  located  about 
twenty  miles  from  Boulder  Creek,  a  small 
town  not  far  from  Santa  Cruz,  and  is  under 
the  control  of  the  State  Board  of  Forestry, 
which  has  advisory  relations  with  the  Sem- 
pervirens Club — a  club  organized  for  its 
public  purchase  and  protection. 

Burial  in  the  Philippine  Islands,— Many 
a  volume  could  be  written  on  the  burial 
customs  of  the  nations  of  the  world,  from 
the  Hindoo  habit  of  placing  the  bodies  on 
the  Towers  of  Silence,  to  the  earth  inter- 
ment of  the  Christian  and  the  cremation 
of  the  North  American  Indian.  In  Spain 
and  Mexico  and  also  in  the  Phihppine 
Islands — doubtless  introduced  there  by  the 
Spanish  missionaries — the  habit  prevails  of  placing  the  bodies  in  compartments  in  walls  or  vaults, 
each  of  which  is  numbered,  the  number  corresponding  to  a  register  kept  by  the  priest  or  sexton. 
The  friends  of  the  deceased  are  required  to  pay  an  annual  rental  for  this  "  resting-place  for  the 
dead,"  and  so  long  as  this  is  done  the  body  remains  unmolested.  But  if,  after  a  year  or  so,  the 
rent  remains  unpaid,  the  body,  by  now  generally  reduced  to  bones  and  dust,  is  removed  and 
incontinently  thrown  into  a  vault  prepared  for  that  purpose.  To  those  of  different  custom,  who 
see  these  piles  of  skulls  and  bones  for  the  first  time,  this  method  of  displacing  the  dead  seems  both 
heartless  and  sacrilegious,  but  to  those  who  do  it  there  is  nothing  strange  or  out  of  the  way  in  it. 


THE    POLAR    SUN. 

This  photograph,  taken  during  the  expedition  of  Dr.  Cook,  clearly 
shows  the  iridescent  halo  that  on  certain  occasions  was  observed  to 
surround  the  sun;  it  was  especially  noticed  after  emerging  from  a  fog 
or   a    bank    of    clouds. 


Mount  Hood  from   Elliot  Glacier. 


A  dangerous  snow-bridge  over  a  crevasse. 


Photos 


The  Kigantic  ice-cliffs  of  the  glacier. 

ELLIOT    GLACIER.    MOUNT    HOOD.    OREGON 


iff.  C.  White  Co. 
One  of  the  glaciers  that  imperil  the  way  of  the  mountain-climber. 


596 


The   Wonders   of  the  World 


Photo  6y] 


IT/ie  Detroit  I'holographic  Co. 


MOUNT    HOOD.    OREGON. 

Mount  Hood  is  the  northernmost  peak  in  Oregon  of  the  Cascade  Range.       It  possesses  a  lake  of   immense   depth    and    of    the   purest 
water,  which  is  protected  by  the  Canyon  of  the  Sandy   River  from  contamination  by  the  muddy  glacier  streams. 

Everything  in  life — and,  in  this  case,  even  afterwards — depends  upon  the  angle  at  which  one 
views  things. 

Totem  Poles. — ^EarUer  in  this  work  was  given  a  description  of  the  origin  and  significance  of  the 
Totem,  but  a  few  words  may  with  advantage  be  added  here  with  regard  to  the  symbolism  of  their 
elaborate  carvings.  As  we  have  already  seen,  there  were  four  kinds  of  totem  :  the  clan,  the  family, 
the  sex  and  the  individual.  The  first  symbol  denoted  the  supposed  origin  of  a  particular  tribe  ;  for 
instance,  the  Eagle  Clan  claim  descent  from  the  monarch  of  the  air,  and,  therefore,  a  carved  eagle 
surmounts  the  tallest  pole  in  their  village.  The  second  was  the  family  symbol.  Now,  most  of 
the  family  names  of  the  North-American  aborigines  are  those  of  birds,  beasts,  fishes,  reptiles, 
or  natural  objects,  so  that  the  embodied  name  is  usually  not  difficult  to  depict.  The  ThUnkits 
are  divided  into  four  totems  :  the  whale,  the  eagle,  the  raven  and  the  wolf.  Should  you  pass 
through  a  village  of  the  Thlinkits  and  be  unaware  of  the  exact  family  by  whom  it  is  inhabited, 
the  totem  pole  will  tell  you  if  you  be  learned  in  the  Indian  folk-lore,  for  upon  it  will  be  carved  the 
family  emblem  underneath  that  of  the  clan. 

But  perhaps  the  totem  is  a  private  coat-of-arms  ;  .then  the  third  carving  will  show  the  sex  of 
the  owner.  The  sign  will  vary  according  to  his  or  her  tribe.  But  let  us  take  a  special  example. 
The  sex  totems  of  the  Thlinkits  are,  for  a  woman,  the  raven  ;  for  a  man,  the  wolf.  Then  one  of 
these  two  animals  will  figure  on  the  private  totem  pole.  Lastly,  there  is  the  individual  totem. 
This  is  chosen  by  every  man  when  he  has  attained  the  age  of  puberty  and  has  undergone  the  long 
religious  fasts  demanded  of  him  on    his  inclusion  amongst  the  adult  males  of  the  tribe.     These 


North   America 


597 


fasts  are  a  test  of  his  powers  of  endurance  and  are  very  severe.  Exhaustion  often  occurs,  and  the 
mind  is  then  in  the  requisite  state  to  see  visions  and  dream  dreams.  If  in  these  dreams  a  special 
animal  appears  to  the  dreamer,  he  will  take  it  as  his  own  pecuHar  emblem,  and  that  will  be  carved 
on  the  fourth  position  on  the  pole.  That  is  the  history  of  the  evolution  of  a  totem  pole.  Many 
and  varied  are  the  devices  to  be  met  with,  not  only  in  North  and  West  America,  but  in  most 
ethnological  museums,  for  transportation  has  made  this  curious  architecture  familiar  to  the  world. 
In  one  instance  a  pole  was  adorned  with  a  succession  of  bears  ;  in  another,  three  halibuts  ;  and 
yet  another  had  as  its  topmost  carving  the  figure  of  a  man  in  a  conical  hat.  But  grotesque  and 
humorous  though  these  carvings  may  appear,  it  ought  to  be  remembered  that  a  whole  system  of 
primitive  rehgion  and  morals  underlies  this  strange  sculpture,  and  that  the  totem  pole  is  a 
subject  capable  of  affording  vastly  interesting  study. 

The  Polar  5an.— All  are  famihar  with  the  Polar  Day  and  the  long  Polar  Night,  but  the  majority 
of  people  assume  that  the  sun,  during  the  period  of  its  constant  shining,  presents  the  same  appearance 
as  that  with  which  they  are  familiar.  This  is  a  great  error.  The  pecuhar  magnetic,  electric  and 
meteorological  combinations  affect  the  atmosphere  surrounding  the  earth,  so  that  man's  vision  of 
the  sun  is  materially  altered.  When  the  thermometer  ranges  from  twenty  to  forty,  fifty  and  even 
sixty  degrees  below  zero,  and  the  sky  is  overcast  with 
fog,  or  heavy  falls  of  snow,  or  dense  clouds,  and  the 
heavens  are  constantly  subjected  to  brill- ant  electric 
displays,  the  appearances  of  the  sun  can  better  be 
imagined  than  described.  Here  are  a  few  brief  word- 
pictures  made  by  Commander  Cagni,  of  the  Duke  of  the 
Abruzzi's  expedition  on  the  Polar  Star  to  the  Arctic  Sea 

(June,   1899,   to  September,    1900).     On  the  evening  of 
Wednesday,     April    11,       "At    four    o'clock,    the    sky 

became  clear  for  a  moment,  and  the  sun  appeared  with 

a  splendid  halo — blue,  green,   yellow  and  red;    and  a 

secondary  halo — green,  yellow  and  red."     On  Monday, 

April  2,  another  detachment  of  the  expedition  reported 

that  "  At  noon  we  set  out  in  perfectly  calm  weather. 

A  fog  completely  envelops  us  and   prevents   us  from 

seeing  far.      Yesterday's  fall  of  snow  has  effaced  our 

tracks  and  left  a  layer  of  soft  snow,  into  which  the 

sledges  sink.   .  .  .  The  fog  lifts  at  three,   and  the  sun 

appears    for    a    moment,    with    a    large   and   splendid 

iridescent  halo  which  has  a  luminous  body  on  the  top." 

April  10 :  "  At  one  o'clock  the  star  of  day  appeared, 

surrounded  by  a  magnificent  halo,   the  most  beautiful 

I  have  ever  seen.      It  is  a  circle  of  light,  shining  with 

all  the  colours  of  the   prism,   divided  by  a  horizontal 

diameter,     with    two     parhelions    at    its    extremities, 

making  three  suns  on  the  same  line.      There  is  a  large 

luminous  body  in  contact  with  the  upper  limb." 

Mount  Hood  is  eleven   thousand  two   hundred    feet 

above  sea  level  and  forms  one  of  a  group  of  peaks  all  of 

which  can  be  clearly  seen  from  Portland.     In  succession 

there  are  Mount  St.  Helens,  the  Three  Sisters,  Mount 

Jefferson  and  Mount  Adams,  while  at  a  distance  of  about 

one  hundred  and  forty  miles  is  Mount  Tacoma-Ranier. 


Pholo  hy'] 

WEBER    CANYON.    UTAH. 

The  Devil's  Slide  in  ihii  canyon  is  composed  of 
two  remarkable  parallel  strata  o(  sandstone  ascending 
the  steep  slope  of  the  south  wall  for  about   2.000  feet. 


598 


The   Wonders   of   the  World 


Mount  Hood  is  the  northernmost  peak  in  Oregon  of  the  Cascade  Range.  This  range,  which  the 
geologists  generally  regard  as  a  continuation  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  of  California,  is  a  broad  volcanic 
plateau,  with  an  average  height  of  six  thousand  feet,  from  which  soar  many  peaks  from  nine 
thousand  to  eleven  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  It  really  divides  Oregon  and  Washington  into  two 
parts — the  eastern  and  western  divisions  being  chmatically  very  different  from  each  other,  and  thus 
having  a  marked  influence  upon  the  agriculture.  The  mountain  itself  is  reached  by  stage  of  about 
forty  miles  from  Hood  River  station,  and  here  are  fields  of  exploration  that  even  to-day  invite  the 
adventurous.     Glaciers,  crevasses  and  moraines  on  Mount  Hood  are  yet  to  be  explored  and  mapped 

out,  and  one  may  revel  here  in  scenery 
as  untouched  by  the  foot  of  man  as  any 
known  in  the  world. 

The  Devil's  Slide,  Weber  Can^fon^ 
Utah. — The  Union  Pacific  Railway, 
reaching  from  Omaha  to  Ogden,  where 
it  joins  the  Southern  Pacific  (once 
known  as  the  Central  Pacific),  for  San 
Francisco,  passes  through  wonderfully 
diversified  scenery.  After  rolling  over 
the  buffalo  plains  at  about  the  same 
level  for  hundreds  of  miles,  it  ascends 
the  Rockies,  passes  the  summit  and 
slides  down  to  the  plateaus  of  the 
Colorado  and  Utah  country.  These 
plateaus  are  seamed  here  and  there 
with  most  picturesque  and  rugged  can- 
yons, one  of  the  most  interesting  of 
which  is  Weber  Canyon.  It  is  pre- 
ceded by  Echo  Canyon,  wild  and  fan- 
tastic, whose  walls  are  nearer  together 
than  are  those  of  Weber  Canyon. 
Here  are  pulpit  rocks,  fantastic  carvings 
and  wild  spires  ascending  into  the 
pure  blue  of  the  western  sky,  from 
massive  domes,  cathedral  rocks  and 
castellated  towers.  One  of  the  most 
imposing  features  is  the  Devil's  Shde, 
consisting  of  two  parallel  dykes  or 
strata  of  sandstone,  about  thirty  feet 
apart,  and  ascending  the  steep  slope  of 
the  south  wall  of  the  canyon  for  about 
one  thousand  five  hundred  to  two  thousand  feet.  The  name  is  somewhat  fanciful,  suggested  by  its 
largeness  and  ruggedness,  and  that  it  does  somewhat  appear  as  if  some  weird  and  wild  being  had 
used  it  as  a  passage-way  from  the  cliffs  above  to  the  level  beneath. 

The  Old  Man  of  the  Mountains,  Franconia  Notch,  White  Mountains,  New  Hampshire. — Until  the 
Rocky  Mountains  and  the  Sierra  Nevadas  were  opened  up  to  the  tourist,  the  White  Mountain  region 
of  New  Hampshire  was  by  far  the  most  popular  of  all  America's  wonder  spots.  For  many  years  a 
railway  has  conveyed  passengers  to  the  top  of  Mount  Washington  (six  thousand  six  hundred  feet) 
during  the  summer  months.  Three  distinct  passes  afford  ingress  and  egress  to  certain  valleys, 
and  those  passes  which  in  this  range   are  known  as  "  Notches."     The  easternmost  of  the  passes 


Photo  by'! 


{T/ie  Dftroit  I'hotogrfiphic  Co. 
"THE    OLD    MAN    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS." 
This    strange    crag,  which   juts    out    from    the    side    of    Cannon    or    Profile 
Mount    in    the    "  Franconia  Notch  "    of    the    White    Mountains,    has    been    im- 
mortalized  by    Hawthorne    in    his    "Twice-told    Tales." 


6oo 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


is  the  Franconia  Notch,  through  which 
the  Pemigewasset  river  flows.  One  of 
the  mountains  that  borders  this  notch 
is  Mount  Cannon,  so  called  on  account 
of  a  group  of  rocks  at  its  summit 
wliich  at  a  distance  bear  an  exact  re- 
semblance to  a  mighty  cannon. 

On  this  mountain,  about  twelve 
liundred  to  fifteen  hundred  feet  above 
the  road,  though  far  below  the  summit, 
appears  a  "  Great  Stone  Face,"  the 
"  Old  Man  of  the  Mountains,"  that 
bears  so  striking  a  resemblance  to  a 
human  face  that  Hawthorne,  in  his 
"  Twice-told  Tales,"  has  not  only  given 
us  a  vivid  description  of  it,  but  has 
woven  a  legend  and  moral  around  it. 
He  thus  describes  it :  "  It  seemed  as  if 
an  enormous  giant,  or  Titan,  had  sculp- 
tured his  own  likeness  on  the  precipice. 
Tliere  was  the  broad  arch  of  the  fore- 
head, a  hundred  feet  in  height ;  the 
nose,  with  its  long  bridge ;  and  the 
vast  lips,  which,  if  they  could  have 
spoken,  would  have  rolled  their  thunder 
accents  from  one  end  of  the  valley  to 
the  other."  Thomas  Starr  King,  com- 
menting on  this,  said:  "  We  must  re- 
duce the  scale  of  the  charming  story- 
teller's description.  The  whole  profile 
is  about  eighty  feet  in  length  ;  and  of  the 
three  separate  masses  of  rock  which  are 
combined  in  its  composition,  one  forms 
the  forehead,  another  the  nose  and  upper  lips,  and  the  third  the  chin.  Perhaps  the  best  time  to 
see  the  profile  is  about  four  in  the  afternoon  of  a  summer  day." 

The  Congressional  Library  Baildingf  Washington^  D.  C. — While  called  the  Library  of  Congress, 
this  is  really  the  National  Library  of  the  United  States.  It  is  located  close  to  the  National  Capitol, 
for  the  use  of  the  President,  the  Senators  and  Congressmen,  judges  and  officials,  and  any  American 
citizen  who  may  need  to  use  its  vast  collection  of  books  to  aid  him  in  his  researches  in  any  of  the 
multitude  of  subjects  which  interest  mankind. 

The  new  library  was  completed  in  1897.  It  is  an  imposing  building,  situated  on  the  eastern  heights 
of  the  city  of  Washington,  directly  opposite  the  east  front  of  the  Capitol,  and  surmounted  by  a 
golden  dome,  reaching  about  one-third  the  height  of  the  Wasliington  Monument.  This  is  second 
in  size  only  to  St.  Isaac's,  of  Russia — the  largest  gilded  dome  in  the  world. 

It  covers  about  four  acres,  is  constructed  of  New  Hampshire  granite,  and  its  foundation  walls 
are  as  soHd  as  the  enduring  rock  on  which  they  are  placed.  Dignity  and  use  rather  than  ornateness 
and  show  were  the  watchwords  of  the  architects,  though  in  the  detail  and  ornamentation  it  must  be 
confessed  the  library  goes  far  beyond  any  of  the  older  public  buildings  of  the  National  Capitol. 
General  Casey,  the  national  architect,  who,  with  his  assistants,  designed  the  building,  was  necessarily 


Pholo  by'i 


[Undpftcood  &  Undencood. 
THE    MAMMOTH    CAVE,    KENTUCKY. 
Stalactitic    formations    are    not    abundant    in    these    caves,    but    such    as    are 
found    here  are  of  great  size  and  beauty.      Thoje  here   shown  are    to    be    seer    in 
Pilgrim    Avenue. 


North  America 


60 1 


handicapped  in  ihis  plans  at  the  start,  for, 'whatever  he  did  must  be  subordinate  to  the  National 
Capitol  and  in  perfect  harmony  with  it  both  in  style  and  appearance. 

The  main  entrance  is  by  three  arched  doorways,  side  by  side,  leading  into  a  magnificent 
and  spacious  entrance  hall,  lined  with  highly-polished  marble.  Two  flights  of  marble  stairs  lead 
upwards  to  the  right  and  left,  guarded  by  balustrades  carved  in  high  relief,  representing  a  succes- 
sion of  cherubs  who  symbolize  science,  art,  industry,  and  the  many  professions  and  pursuits  of 
man. 

Directly  opposite  the  entrance  doors  and  midway  between  the  two  flights  of  stairs  is  an  impressive 
portal  of  white  marble,  like  a  triumphal  arch,  leading  to  the  rotunda,  the  floor  space  of  which  is 
occupied  as  a  reading-room. 

This  rotunda  is  practically  the  centre  of  the  building,  and  it  is  flanked  on  the  north  and  south 
by  two  halls,  each  containing  an  enormous  book-stack  of  iron  and  marble  reaching  up  nine  stories 
and  either  capable  of  holding  a  million  volumes.  The  windows  of  these  book-chambers  look  into 
four  large  courts,  which  are  enclosed  by  the  outer  wall  of  the  building.  A  lofty  corridor,  with 
offices,  small  reading-rooms,  etc.,  opening  into  it,  runs  around  the  vast  square  of  the  entire  building, 
its  walls  faced  high  with  polished  marble  from  the  different  States. 

The  reading  room  is  octagonal  in  shape  and  a  hundred  feet  in  diameter.  Its  ceiling  is  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet  above  the  mosaic  pavement.  Each  of  the  eight  sides  is  guarded  by  a  splendid 
archway  of  Sienese  marble,  its  incomparable  mellow  yellow  tints  veined  in  black.  At  each  bend 
of  the  octagon  stand  colossal  polished  columns  of  red  African  marble,  as  warm  and  glowing  as  a 
Nile  sunset.     It  is  a  gorgeous  temple  of  learning,  by  far  the  most  ornate  building  in  America. 


Fhoto  by'\  [Underaood  <k  Uiideruood. 

THE    HEAD    OF    ECHO    RIVER.    MAMMOTH    CAVE 
This   river   flows   along    in    the    darkness   of    these   caverns    for  an    unknown    distance,    for   the    cave  and  its   avenues   can   only    be 

etitimated    to  extend    for  at    least   one  hundred    miles. 


6o2 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


The  Mammoth  Ca-ve  of  Keniuckyi. — For  over  a  century  the  Mammoth  Cave  of  Kentucky  has 
been  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world.  In  Edmonson  County,  where  the  Mammoth  Cave  is 
found,  there  are  as  many  as  five  hundred  well-known  and  exp'ored  caverns. 

The  reason  for  this  is  that  the  plateau  of  this  country  is  surfaced  with  a  layer  of  homogeneous 
limestone  of  the  sub-carboniferous  period,  several  hundred  feet  thick,  with  no  intervening  strata. 
For  over  a  hundred  miles  there  are  but  three  rivers — the  Wolin,  Green  and  Barren — and  between 
these  rivers  the  whole  of  the  surface  drainage  passes  away  through  subterranean  channels,  giving 
rise  to  a  curious  "  sink-hole  "  topography,  which  has  its  counterpart  on  the  north  rim  of  the  Grand 
Canyon  on  the  Kaibab  Plateau.  Much  of  the  water  gathered  in  these  sink-holes  escapes  through 
vents  in  the  bottoms  into  caverns  and  underground  rivers,  cutting  and  carving  on  its  way  to  join 
the  rivers  beyond — one  of  which,  the  Green,  is  fully  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet  below  the  level 
country  above.     Of  this  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet,  seventy  is  sandstone,  and  two  hundred 

and  fifty  feet  limestone, 
and  it  is  in  this  hmestone 
that  the  caves  are  found. 

Every  vent  hole  of  the 
sinks  aids  in  the  making  of 
underground  channels  and 
caverns,  and  there  is  no 
estimating  the  thousands 
of  miles  these  extend.  Nor 
is  it  possible  to  more  than 
guess  at  the  extent  and 
number  of  large  caverns 
yet  undiscovered. 

But  a  building-up  action 
is  going  on  as  well  as  a  dis- 
integrating action.  In  pass- 
ing through  the  limestone 
the  water  becomes  charged 
with  lime,  which  it  deposits 
elsewhere  in  the  form  of 
stalactites  and  stalagmites 
of  a  hundred  varied  designs. 
In  the  upper  portion  of  the 
hmestone,  also,  a  quantity 
of  pyrites  of  iron  is  found,  and  through  the  agency  of  moisture  and  air  upon  tliese  and  the  lime- 
stone, sulphate  of  lime,  or  gypsum,  is  formed,  and  the  gypsum  crystals  incrust  the  walls  and  ceihngs 
in  the  upper  and  drier  portions  of  the  cave  with  beautiful  and  fantastic  forms  of  sparkhng  white. 
These  gypsum  formations  grow  out  of  the  rock  as  hoar-frost  grows  out  of  the  ground. 

Another  strangely  beautiful  scene  is  exhibited  in  the  Star  Chamber,  a  hall  seventy  feet  wide, 
sixty  feet  high  and  five  hundred  feet  long.  The  lofty  ceihng  is  coated  with  black  gypsum,  studded 
with  thousands  of  white  spots. 

Passing  through  majestic  avenues  and  chambers,  we  approach  Chief  City,  so-called  because  there 
are  a  number  of  rocks  that  appear  like  ruins,  and  also  because  of  the  vast  dome  where  the  Indians 
used  to  congregate  before  the  day  of  the  whites.  This  stupendous  dome  is  five  hundred  feet  across 
in  one  direction,  two  hundred  and  eighty  feet  in  another,  and  its  height  is  estimated  at  from  ninety 
to  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet.     Over  this  great  area  extends  a  solid  arch  of  limestone. 

Not  far  away  is  Flint  Dome,  where  bands  and  nodules  of  flint  project  from  the  circular  walls. 


Photo  hy] 


THE    PILLARS 
One   of    the    gi 


OF    HERCULES. 

=knt    stalactites    to    be 


MAMMOTH 
found    in    these    caves 


N'lerirooii  A-  Umierirood. 
CAVE. 


lUnderaood  Jc  Understood, 


From  Stereo  KOfjynyhi  oti\  ■  *  ■ 

MONUMENT    PARK.    COLORADO. 

The    eroded-'  sand&tone     pillars    of     this    diEtrict   are   remarkable  .'fcr    their    dark     capf,    which    are    fcrrr.ed    by   a   stratum   of    much 

firmer   sandstone   capable   of    withstandins   erosion    better   than    the   mcMV    friable    bat»e. 


6o4 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


••*-"^"**'**^*^^'''"^^ 


Photo  ly'] 


[T/te  Dftroi/  r/tofO'jraphir  Co. 


SUNRISE     FROM     PIKE'S    PEAK. 


The  effects   of    the    sunrise    from    this    lofty    peak    of    the    Rocky    Mountains    are    of    extreme    beauty,    especially   when   a   white 
mountain    fog    hides   away    the   lesser  peaks   and    the   valleys    beneath. 

The  Indians  used  to  gather  flint  from  here,  as  in  its  moist  condition  it  would  "  flake  "  much  easier 
than  the  dry  flint  outside. 

Mammoth  Dome  is  the  largest  of  the  three  vast  domes  in  this  cave,  and  is  about  four  hundred 
feet  in  length  and  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height  and  as  much  in  width.  The  walls  are 
curtained  by  alabaster  drapery  in  vertical  folds,  varying  in  size  from  a  pipe-stem  to  a  saw-log,  and 
decorated  by  heavy  fringes  at  intervals  of  about  twenty  feet.  Six  enormous  columns,  eighty  feet 
high  and  about  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter,  support  one  of  the  circular  sides  of  the  roof.  These 
columns  are  fluted,  and  have  well-marked  capitals,  and  look  like  the  ruins  of  some  immense 
Egyptian  temple.  The  white  limestone  is  here  incrusted  with  an  amber-coloured  stalagmitic 
coating,  and  curtains  of  the  same  material  add  greatly  to  the  splendour  of  the  place.  The  floor 
is  paved  with  stalagmitic  blocks,  stained  by  red  and  black  oxides  into  a  kind  of  mosaic. 

Though  the  main  passages  are  wide  and  impress  the  beholder  with  their  grandeur  and  majesty, 
there  is  one  winding,  narrow,  water-worn  passage  whose  three  hundred  feet  or  more  change  direction 
eight  times.  The  width  of  the  passage  is  but  eighteen  inches,  and  it  is  called  the  Fat  Man's  Misery, 
from  which  one  emerges  to  the  Great  Relief,  From  this  we  enter  one  of  the  grandest  avenues  in 
the  cave,  called  River  Hall,  extending  for  several  miles,  and  leading,  with  its  ramifications,  to  the 
wonderful  subterranean  lakes  and  rivers.  Passing  along  the  narrow  ledge  of  the  dark  cliifs  over- 
hanging the  Dead  Sea,  where  the  guide  skilfully  throws  the  lights  on  to  projecting  ledges  of  the 
farther  side,  we  still  cannot  see  the  clear  pool  of  water  below  into  which  we  can  hear  the  near-by 
cascade  falling.  We  cross  a  stone  archway  forming  for  several  hundred  feet  a  natural  bridge  over 
the  River  Styx.  Then  after  passing  the  side  of  Lake  Lethe,  we  enter  the  Great  Walk,  a  spacious 
avenue,  ninety  feet  high,  and  extending  twelve  hundred  feet  to  the  shore  of  Echo  River,  We  now 
take  to  the  boats,  flat-bottomed  and  commodious,  each  one  seating  about  twenty  persons.     The 


North  America 


605 


lamps  are  arranged  at  each  end.  It  certainly  is  a  most  uncanny  sensation  to  find  oneself  afloat  under 
the  dark  archway  in  this  world  of  blackness  and  gloom.  It  is  three-quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  other 
side.  The  river  is  about  twenty  feet  deep,  but  the  water  is  so  clear  that  one  can  easily  see  the 
pebbles  at  the  bottom. 

Suddenly  the  guide  asks  for  silence.  Then  lifting  his  heavy,  broad  paddle,  he  strikes  with  great 
force  the  surface  of  the  water.  Instantaneously  one  is  in  the  presence  of  a  thunder-storm  that  he 
cannot  see.  Waves  of  sound  of  immense  volume  are  let  loose  and  come  rolling  in  from  every 
direction,  receding,  and  again  returning,  lingering  for  many  seconds,  and  finally  dying  away  in 
sweet,  far-away  melodies. 

This  underground  river  is  the  home  of  the  eyeless  fish  and  of  an  eyeless  crayfish,  both  of  which 
have  no  colour,  and  are  remarkably  provided  with  sensitive  tissue  under  the  skin  which  answers 
the  purpose  of  eyes. 

There  are  scores  of  other  objects  of  interest  which  one  should  visit,  but  which  this  brief  sketch 
necessarily  cannot  include.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  features  of  the  trip,  however,  is  often 
experienced  at  its  close.  On  returning  to  the  outer  air,  it  seems  so  heavy,  so  mephitic  with  odours 
of  one  kind  or  another,  after  the  pure  air  of  the  cave,  that  many  people  struggle  for  breath  for  a 
short  time,  returning  again  and  yet  again  to  the  cave,  before  they  become  fully  accustomed  once 
more  to  their  normal  air.  This  is  one  of  the  great  charms  of  an  exploration  of  the  cave.  The  air 
is  so  pure  and  exhilarating  that  one  can  walk  miles  and  miles  without  fatigue. 


ThU 


l^TUe  Detroit  J'/wfoy/ttphic  Co. 
THE    MESA    ENCANTADA    FROM    THE    PUEBLO    OF    ACOMA. 
pueblo  is  one  of  the  most  modern,  dating  Irom  1699.       The    Acomas    asgert  that  their   ancestors    lived  1 
Tableland "    (.as    "  Mesa    Encantada "    signifies),    and    investigation 


.  the  *  Enchanted 


has   verified   their   clattn. 


^' 


4JtKi 


North  America 


607 


Monument  Park,  Colorado. — ^The  descriptions  already  given  of  the  Garden  of  the  Gods  are  in 
some  measure  appropriate  to  Monument  Canyon,  although  striking  differences  are  to  be  noticed 
by  the  careful  observer.  Until  travel  was  diverted  to  the  Garden  of  the  Gods  this  was  the  popular 
locahty  in  Colorado. 

Imagine  a  great  number  of  gigantic  sugar-loaves,  quite  irregular  in  shape,  but  all  possessing  the 
tapering  form,  varying  in  height  from  six  feet  to  fifty  feet,  with  each  loaf  capped  by  a  flat  stone 
of  much  darker  colour  than  the  loaf,  and  having  a  shape  not  unlike  a  college  student's  mortar-board 
— such  is  Monument  Park.  The  capping 
stones  are  all  that  remain  of  a  later  de- 
position of  sandstone,  which  is  somewhat 
harder  and  more  durable  than  the  whiter 
sandstone  beneath.  Consequently,  as  the 
lower  stratum  has  been  eroded,  these  caps 
have  preserved  the  various  columns  from 
extinction,  though  the  beating  rain,  wind 
and  snow  have  continued  to  gnaw  them 
under  the  protecting  shelter  of  the  caps. 
The  monuments  are  for  the  most  part 
ranged  along  the  low  hills  on  each  side  of 
the  park,  which  is  about  a  mile  wide,  but 
liere  and  there  one  stands  in  the  open 
plain.  There  are  two  or  three  small  knolls 
apart  from  the  hills;  and  on  these  several 
clusters  of  the  columns  are  found,  present- 
ing an  appearance,  at  a  slight  distance, 
very  like  that  of  the  white  marble  columns 
so  often  found  in  cemeteries. 

Sunrise  from  Pike's  Peak. — This  peak  is 
amongst  the  best  known  heights  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  and  though  many  travel- 
lers scale  its  steep  flanks,  few  have  watched 
a  sunrise  from  its  lofty  summit.  It  is  a 
sight  of  surpassing  beauty,  more  especially 
when  a  white  fog  spreads  over  lake  and 
valley  below.  These  fogs  are  of  frequent 
occurrence,  and  as  one  looks  down  upon 
the  white  mass  it.  is  as  though  a  limitless 
sea,  broken  up  into  fleecy  billows,  were 
lapping  the  mountain  side  with  its  noiseless 
waters.  The  faint  light  of  dawn  gives  tints 
of  pearl  to  the  moving  expanse,  and  as  the 
sun's  strength  each  moment  increases,  the  colouring  changes  and  deepens  ;  the  sky  above  is 
charged  with  rose  and  crimson,  and  the  ethereal  lake  reflects  the  glow.  With  the  full  warmth  of 
day  the  mountain  fog  is  dispersed  and  soft  illusion  gives  place  to  majestic  reality. 

Acoma. — Of  all  the  picturesque  sites  for  a  people  the  Acomas  seem  to  have  chosen  the  best. 
Their  village  is  perched  high  on  a  wonderful  "  penyol  " — an  island  of  rock,  isolated,  however, 
with  sand  instead  of  water — in  the  plain,  some  twenty  miles  south  of  Laguna.  When  they  first 
went  there  it  is  impossible  to  tell ;  but,  whenever  it  was,  it  was  at  a  time  when  defence  was 
needed.     So  they  chose  this  site  because  there  was  no  way  to  reach  it  save  up  a  dizzy  trail  which 


A^yT^S 


'T 


^Si^im^r^i 


-^i 


IHE     ROCK-PILLAR    AT    ACOMA. 


6o8 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


climbed  part  of  the  way  up  the  face  of  the  cHff.  According  to  tradition,  the  Acomas  came 
from  the  far-away  north,  and  their  first  recorded  village  was  Kashka-chuti.  Here  they  dwelt 
for  a  long  time,  until  "  the  urge  "  sent  them  further  south  to  Washpashuka,  where  they  remained 
until  another  southward  impulse  brought  them  to  Kuchtya.  The  sites  of  none  of  these  towns 
are  known  even  to  their  oldest  and  wisest  men.  But  finally  they  reached  the  land  where 
they  dwell  at  the  present  time.  They  dot  New  Mexico  all  over,  also  parts  of  Arizona,  and  nowhere 
are  they  more  attractive  and  striking  than  in  the  region  north  and  south  of  Laguna. 

When  the  travelling  ancestors  of  the  Acomas  reached  this  land,  they  reared  the  walls  of  Tsiama 
at  the  gateway  of  a  half-canyon,  afterwards  named  by  the  Spaniards  the  Canyada  de  la  Cruz. 
But  even  here  they  did  not  linger  long.  A  more  attractive  site  was  found  at  Tapitsiama,  a  great 
mesa  overlooking  the  Acoma  valley  from  the  north-east.  Still  another  change  was  made,  and  this 
was  to  Katzimo — the  accursed — the  mighty  rock  from  which  Those  Above  drove  them  in  most 


Photo  by]  [George  WUarlon  James. 

A     NATURAL    BRIDGE    AND    TOWERS.    ACOMA. 

dramatic  manner.  Or,  at  least,  they  allowed  them  to  leave  and  then  forbade  their  return  by  making 
re-ascent  impossible.  The  mesa  itself  is  passed  on  the  way  from  Laguna  to  Acoma.  It  is  in  a  valley 
of  cliffs,  pink,  grey,  creamy,  with  occasionally  a  touch  of  orange,  crimson  and  ohve,  but  here  was 
a  detached  mass,  left  soHtary,  alone,  dignified,  in  the  heart  of  the  valley.  It  towered  majestically 
above  the  tiny  "  pinions"  at  its  base,  though  some  masses  of  talus  were  piled  more  than  thigh-high 
at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs.     The  walls  are  seamed  and  scarred  with  many  a  storm. 

While  Acoma  was  originally  difficult  of  access,  Katzimo  was  far  more  so,  for  there  was  but  one 
trail  to  the  summit,  and  that  for  part  of  the  way  was  up  a  huge  section  of  rock  that  had  been 
separated  from  the  main  wall  by  the  action  of  the  weather  during  the  centuries. 

One  day,  when  all  the  people,  save  three  old  sick  women  and  two  or  three  lads  left  to  take  care 
of  them,  were  away  working  in  their  fields,  a  fierce  storm  came  and  soon  literally  made  the  penyol 
an  island.  The  water  made  a  second  flood  and  ultimately  washed  away  the  sand  that  held  the 
rock-sliver  in  place.  It  fell  with  a  crash  and  thus  deprived  the  Acomas  of  any  mode  of  access  to 
their  former  homes.     This  they  discovered  when  they  returned,  and  from  that  time  forward  the 


c3 
j=  p 


■z  •= 

IS 

o  = 
■«  c 
..  o 


"  2 

S  " 


X 


^  o 


North   America 


609 


place  was  accursed  to  them  ;   for  not  only  were  they  kept  from  it,  but  their  unfortunate  kinswomen 
were  unable  to  descend,  and  ultimately  starved  to  death  there. 

Acoma  itself  is  three  miles  from  the  enchanted  mesa,  and  its  approach  is  equally  impressive. 
Many  a  time  I  have  visited  its  fascinating  heights,  and  each  time  with  increasing  pleasure.  On  one 
occasion  I  and  several  friends  went  with  Padre  George  J.  Juillard,  their  priest,  who  three  or  four 
times  a  year  visits  them,  hears  confession,  says  Mass,  and  generally  consoles  and  advises  with  them. 

At  the  foot  of  the  trail  our  horses  were  unharnessed  and  unsaddled  and  taken  away  by  some  of 
the  Acomas.  Our  Indian  friends  went  ahead  of  us,  and  we  soon  saw  them  scahng  an  absolutely 
precipitous  cliff — in  the  heart  of  a  cleft — hke  flies  on  a  wall. 

We  soon  found  we  had  to  follow,  but  it  was  so  planned  that  there  was  some  friendly  hand  to 
help  each  of  us  at  the  critical  places.  First  of  all,  the  trail  was  a  series  of  steps  of  rock  and  tree- 
trunks  until  we  were  well  up  in  the  heart  of  the  cleft ;  then  our  fingers  were  guided  into  little  hand- 
holes  and  our  feet  put  into  foot-holes,  and  for  about  ten  feet  we  had  to  climb  up  a  sheer  wall.  We 
were  helped  so  handily  and  so  surely  that  we  all  reached  the  top  with  no  more  than  a  few  extra 
heart-beats  and  a  sharp  sigh  or  two.  Then  we  entered  a  rocky  tunnel,  and  on  emerging  on  the 
other  side  we  were  actually  on  tlie  top  of  tlie  mesa  on  which  stands  Acoma. 

The  superficial  area  of  this  rocky  table  is  seventy  acres,  and  it  is'~perched  nearly  three  hundred 
and  sixty  feet  above  the  sur- 
rounding sands.  The  walls  are 
carved  into  a  thousand  and 
one  forms,  strange,  fantastic, 
top-heavy  statues  of  rude 
and  grotesque  outline.  Narrow 
clefts,  ravines,  chasms,  in  which 
are  hidden  standing  rocks, 
balanced  rocks,  pillar  rocks, 
and  some  of  which  are  spanned 
by  natural  bridges  of  massive 
outline,  that  dwarf  the  most 
ponderous  of  man's  efforts  of 
this  kind.  There  are  scores  of 
massive  mural  faces,  the  tops 
of  which  are  nature-shaped  into 
towers,  pinnacles,  columns, 
domes,  minarets  and  rude 
spires.  We  saw  sheep  corrals 
made  by  fencing  in  the  en- 
trance of  a  cul-de-sac,  whose 
walls  towered  hundreds  of  feet 
into  the  blue  sky.  Near  by  was 
one  formed  by  surrounding  a 
standing  rock-pillar  with  a  fence, 
which  just  at  sunset  cast  a 
shadow  upon  the  sand,  strangely 
and  starthngly,  hke  a  sleeping 
giant  of  unearthly  proportion,        ~~7Zi7i^i  [f.von,,-  w/mnou  james. 

Like  all  Indians,  the  Acomas  the  trail,   acoma. 

■      J     ,  •  J     J  The    view    looking     from     the    tunnel.     This     immense     mesa    covers   an    area   o(   about 

mdulge  m  many  sacred    dances.  ,J„l^\m  Z    everywhere    curious    a„d     fantastic    rock,    .ower    above    the    surround- 

Most    of    these    dances    are    a      im:  Uvei. 

40 


6io 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


strange  commingling  of  their  old  pagan  ceremonies — Nature  worship — and  those  taught  them  by 
the  Christian  padres.     Let  me  describe  this  as  I  have  several  times  seen  it. 

Leading  the  procession  came  a  peculiar  figure.  It  was  a  man  riding  a  kind  of  "  hobby-horse." 
This  represented  St.  James,  the  patron  saint  of  Spain,  a  figure  often  seen  in  the  ceremonies  of  the 
New  Mexico  Indians.  Then,  more  peculiar  even  than  Saint  James,  was  a  tall  Mexican,  dressed 
in  cowboy  fashion,  wielding  a  large  accordion  and  playing  with  earnestness  and  vigour.  By  his 
side  was  another  Mexican.  This  latter  had  evidently  taken  full  charge  of  the  ceremonies.  His 
wand  of  office  was  a  vicious-looking  blacksnake  whip,  with  which  every  now  and  again  he  fiercely 
beat  the  air.  Then  behind  a  large  crowd  of  Mexican  visitors  came  a  stalwart  Acoma  Indian  bearing 
the  processional  cross  ;  then  the  Governor  and  his  officers,  followed  by  the  priest  in  his  robes  of  office. 
Behind  him.  seated  in  a  cabinet  evidently  made  for  the  purpose  and  borne  aloft  over  the  heads  of 


Photo  by]  [The  Detroit  noloijrnpliic  Co. 

SANDSTONE    CARVINGS.    GREEN     RIVER.     WYOMING. 

These    red    sandstone    cliffs    have    lent   themselves    readily    to   the    curious    sculpture   of    the    sand-laden    blast.     "The    Old    Maid's 
Teapot"   and    "Thor's    Club"   are    the   titles    of    these    two    rock    masses. 

the  bearers,  was  the  wooden  figure  of  St.  Stephen,  taken  down  from  its  place  over  the  altar.  Over 
the  figure  of  the  saint  a  cloth  canopy  was  held,  the  four  corners  of  which  were  supported  by  staffs  in 
the  hands  of  four  men.  Then  came  the  band  of  singers  and  the  whole  of  the  population,  men,  women 
and  children.     This  procession  solemnly  wended  its  way  up  and  down  every  street  of  the  pueblo. 

In  one  of  the  main  streets  a  small  ramada,  or  shelter,  had  been  built,  inside  which  the  figure  of 
St.  Stephen  was  placed,  forming  part  of  the  rude  altar  which  had  already  been  prepared.  Having 
thus  escorted  the  figure  of  the  saint  to  his  shrine  for  the  day,  the  procession  now  disbanded. 

During  the  rest  of  the  morning  all  the  devout  members  of  the  tribe,  men  and  women,  came  to 
pray  at  the  little  shrine,  each  one  bringing  some  gift-offering  of  bread,  baked  meat,  clothing,  pottery, 
corn,  melons,  jewellery,  or  other  article,  all  of  which  are  deposited  around  the  foot  of  the  altar  and 
left  there. 

Soon  after  the  noon  hour  the  dances  began,  and  it  required  no  explanation  to  see  that  these  were 


3- 

s 


O. 


S     H 

S    I 

.•    m 

-      > 

S    w 

a.  ^ 

.  n     m 

»    r 

■9  r 
z 
o 

01 

-  o 

S    > 

•    » 


ll 


6l2 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


a  remnant  of  the  old  heathen  part  of  the  ceremonies  upon  which  the  civilized  and  Christian  part 
had  been  grafted.  The  head-dresses  of  the  women  clearly  symbolized  the  old-time  Acoma  worship 
of  the  sun.  The  other  symbols  and  the  words  of  the  songs  which  were  sung  showed  that  some  of 
the  dances  were  the  ancient  thanksgiving  dances  for  the  good  things  tlie  people  had  received  at  the 
hands  of  Those  Above,  and  also  a  prayer  for  rain.  The  men  wore  a  kilt,  or  apron,  reaching  from  the 
loins  to  the  knees,  embroidered  and  fringed  garters  and  moccasins.  Dependent  from  the  loins  at  the 
back  was  the  skin  of  the  silver-grey  fox,  and  around  both  arms  above  the  elbow  were  tied  twigs 
of  juniper  or  pine.  In  the  left  hand  more  twigs  were  held,  while  in  the  right  was  the  whitewashed 
gourd-rattle  used  in  all  ceremonial  dances.  Around  each  forehead  was  the  inevitable  handkerchief, 
and  nearly  all  wore  a  shell  and  turquoise  necklace.  Their  bodies  and  legs  were  nude,  painted  with 
an  oxide  of  iron.  The  women,  on  the  other  hand,  were  bedecked  with  all  the  gorgeous  finery  they 
could  muster.  To  and  fro  they  danced,  the  men,  two  together,  giving  the  singular  hippety-hop 
movement  peculiar  to  Indian  dances,  and  shaking  their  rattles,  the  women,  hkewise  in  twos, 
following  in  alternate  order,  gently  waving  bunches  of  wild  flowers,  and  shuffling  forward  with  their 
feet  as  the  men  hopped.  On  the  other  side  of  the  street  stood  the  tonibes  (drums)  and  the  chorus, 
the  leader  occasionally  making  gestures,  all  of  which  were  imitated  by  the  singers,  expressive  of 
their  thankfulness  to  Those  Above. 

Altogether,   as  if  they  were  controlled  by  machinery,  each  man-dancer  raises  his  right  foot  with 
a  quick  jerk  to  the  height  of  eight  or  ten  inches  above  the  ground.     The  next  moment,  but  all  in 


Photo  hy} 


Wharton  James. 


THE    CAVE    DWELLINGS.     PAJARITO     PARK. 


The   whole  population    o(    a   tribe   sheltered    in   these    curious    dwellings,    and    there    is   evidence   that    the   surrounding    country 

was   covered   with    similar   villages. 


North   America 


613 


Photo  by'] 

THE    TUFA    ROCK    DWELLINGS.    PAJARITO    PARK. 

Near  by  these   dwellings  is  one  of  the    few   carvings   extant  of  these    primitive    people.       It  is  the  "Shrine  of    MaUatch, 
with  two  carved  lions  :    but  this  cave  shows  the  highest  stage  in  purely  secular  ornamentation. 


Wharton  James. 


decorated 


time,  he  gives  a  tiny  hitch  forward  or  hop  with  his  left  foot,  while  the  right  foot  is  suspended  in 
the  air.  Then  bringing  the  right  foot  down,  he  Hfts  his  left  foot  with  the  same  quick  jerk,  following 
the  movement  with  the  tiny  hop  of  the  right  foot.  It  is  this  httle  and  almost  imperceptible  hop, 
following  the  main  step,  that  gives  the  peculiar  character  to  the  Indian's  dances.  As  the  afternoon 
progressed  and  the  fervour  of  the  dancers  increased,  the  step  became  higher  and  more  vigorous 
and  the  little  hitch  of  the  other  foot  more  marked. 

Tlie  dancing  was  kept  up  until  near  the  time  of  the  setting  sun. 

Sandstone  and  Concrete  Carvings,  Green  River,  Wyoming. — Sculpturing  of  the  rocks  is  one  of 
Nature's  great  amusements.  She  works  in  a  thousand  different  ways.  The  wind,  charged  with 
sand,  is  often  one  of  her  powerful  chisels,  but  the  gases  of  the  atmosphere  are  just  as  potent.  On 
the  Green  River  in  Wyoming  the  red  sandstone  formations  have  lent  themselves  to  a  wonderful 
variety  of  shapes  in  this  workshop  of  fantastic  sculpturing.  As  it  was  deposited  this  sandstone 
settled  in  irregular  density  and  consequent  varying  degrees  of  hardness.  When  the  strata  were 
uncovered  and  the  process  of  degradation  began,  the  harder  masses  resisted  the  encroachments  of 
the  weather,  and  little  by  little  assumed  the  amusing  and  fantastic  forms  in  which  they  now  appear. 
Necessarily  they  look  different  at  different  angles,  hence  it  depends  upon  the  point  from  which 
they  are  photographed  as  to  what  they  are  called.  In  the  accompanying  engravings  are  the  "  Old 
Maid's  Teapot,"  a  gigantic  representation  of  the  source  of  the  maiden  lady's  comfort,  and  the  other 
is  a  club  which  might  have  been  used  by  the  God  Thor  in  one  of  his  berserker  rages  when  he  sought 
to  slay  his  enemies.  There  are  scores  of  these  peculiar  formations  varying  in  size  from  a  foot  or  so 
to  others  which  are  a  hundred  or  more  feet  high  and  many  hundreds  of  feet  in  diameter. 


6i4 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Ptrye  Cliff  LhveUings,  New  Mexico. — Just  as  the  Mesa  Verde  and  the  Canyon  de  Chelly  cover 
large  areas  of  diverse  ruins  of  a  prehistoric  culture,  so  does  the  Jemez  (pronounced  "  Hay-meth  ") 
Plateau  in  New  Mexico.  It  is  a  name  applied  to  the  northern  central  part  of  New  Mexico,  on  the 
west  side  of  the  Rio  Grande  del  Norte.  It  extends  from  a  point  almost  directly  west  of  Santa  Fe 
to  the  Colorado  line,  a  distance  of  about  ninety  miles.  It  is  limited  on  the  west  by  the  Rio  Puerco, 
and  has  an  extreme  breadth  of  about  sixty  miles. 

One  important  section  of  the  Jemez  Plateau  has  been  called  the  Pajarito  Plateau,  and  in  this 
division  the  most  interesting  series  of  ruins  are  those  of  the  settlement  known  as  Puye.  This 
consisted  of  a  large  pueblo  on  the  top  of  the  Puye  Mesa,  and  an  extensive  tributary  cliff  village.    The 


Photo  hy\  ,  [ileorge  Wharton  Jaws. 

CLIFF     UWFLLIXUS     Al      PUVE. 

The    Puye    Mesa    is    situated    en    the    Pajarito    division    of    the    Jemez    Plateau    of    New    Mexico.        The    cliffs  in    which    the     dwellings 

are  situated  are  of  greyish-yellow  tufa,  a  rock  that  is  easily  excavated  and  therefore  suitable  for  the  cave  dwellers. 

pueblo  was  a  huge  quadrangular  structure,  the  second  largest  in  the  region,  and  the  most  regular 
and  compact  of  all  the  greater  ruins.  It  had  but  one  entrance,  this  being  in  the  eastern  side,  near 
the  south-eastern  corner.  The  four  sides  are  so  connected  as  to  form  practically  one  structure. 
In  some  rooms  of  this  building  there  are  evidences  of  occupancy  after  once  having  been  abandoned. 
Doors  and  windows  previously  used  are  found  closed  with  masonry  and  plastered  over.  The  last 
floor  is  laid  upon  a  foot  or  more  of  debris  accumulated  upon  an  original  floor  and  not  removed  in 
the  process  of  remodelling.  The  cHff-village  of  Puye  was  an  extensive  one.  The  Puye  Mesa,  in 
the  cliffs  of  which  the  dwelhngs  occur,  is  a  mass  of  greyish-yellow  tufa,  about  a  mile  long  and 
varying  in  width  from  ninety  to  seven  hundred  feet.  This  tufa  has  been  much  worn  during  the 
ages  by  water  and  wind  erosion,  so  that  it  especially  lent  itself  to  the  making  of  the  cliff-dwelhngs, 
which  are  one  of  the  distinctive  features  of  these  ancient  settlements. 


Photo  hy]  iThe  Detroit  Photographic  Co, 

THE  GRAND  CANYON.  YELLOWSTONE  PARK. 

These  are  not  simpls  grey  and  hoary  depths  and  reaches  and  pinnacles  of  sullen  rock.     The  whole  gorge  flaTtes  as  if  some  glorious 

sunset  had  stained  the  chfTs  with   its  pageant  of  brilliant  colour. 


6i6 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


I'holo  (<!/]  Idilfs. 

THE    GREAT     FALLS.     YELLOWSTONE     PARK. 

This  torrent  of  water,  one  hundred  feet  wide,  falls  in  an  unbroken  mass  of 
wave  and  foam  t^ree  hundred  feet  into  the  Cr^nd  Canyon.  On  either  side  are 
pinnacles  cf  sculptured  rock,  gorgeous  with  rainbow  colourings. 


The  south  face  of  the  cliff  is  Uter- 
ally  honeycombed  with  dweUings.  A 
ledge  midway  up  the  face  divides  it 
into  two  parts.  In  some  places  the 
lower  part  contains  three  levels  of 
dwelhngs,  the  bottom  series  being,  in 
many  instances,  below  the  talus.  The 
dwellings  above  the  ledge  are  more 
scattered,  but  are  also  disposed  in 
three  levels.  In  this  cliff  there  are 
three  kinds  of  dwellings,  namely :  i. 
Simple  excavated  caves.  2.  Ex- 
cavated caves  with  open  rooms  or 
porches  built  on  in  front.  3.  Houses 
of  stone,  one  to  three  stories  high, 
and  terraced,  that  rest  upon  the 
talus  against  the  cliff. 

At  first  glimpse  the  face  of  the 
cliff  in  which  these  dwelhngs  have 
been  excavated  appears  as  if  burrow- 
ing animals  had  made  large  caves 
for  themselves  beneath,  while  num- 
berless holes  and  slots  above  suggest 
the  presence  of  birds' -nests  to  which 
these  were  the  entrances. 

But  after  one  has  studied  Puye, 
he  cannot  fail  to  be  amazed  to  learn 
that  this  was  but  one  of  several 
scores  of  such  ruins,  of  greater  or 
lesser  interest,  all  of  which  are  con- 
nected by  a  network  of  trails,  clearly 
indicating  that  at  one  time  this 
whole  country  was  a  mass  of  pueblo 
Indian  villages  in  which  dwelt  an 
extensive  population.  One  may  walk 
over  trails  that  are  so  worn,  in  some 
places,  as  to  be  hip-deep  in  the  solid 
rock,  showing  how  many  thousands 
of  feet  have  passed  over  them  in 
the  time  that  has  elapsed  since  they 
were  first  laid  out. 

On  the  mesa  the  ruins  of  an 
ancient  reservoir  were  found.  This  was 
oblong  in  form,  its  short  diameter 
being  about  seventy-five  feet,  and 
the  long  diameter  one  hundred  and 
thirty  feet.  The  embankment  is 
made  of  stone  and  earth,  the  open- 
ing   being    on    the    west.     It    could 


North  America 


617 


not  have  been  fed  from  any  living  source,  and  was  undoubtedly  used  only  for  impounding  such 
surface  water  as  was  conducted  to  it  through  a  small  "  draw  "  to  the  west. 

Near  by  there  is  an  irrigation  ditch,  with  its  laterals,  used  for  conveying  water  from  the  streams 
above  the  mesa  to  the  level  fields  east  and  south  of  the  village.  But  these  were  unquestionably  of 
a  later  date,  and  are  supposed  to  have  been  constructed  after  the  coming  of  the  Spaniards  to  the 
Rio  Grande. 

In  another  group  of  ruins  of  the  Jemez  Plateau,  near  the  Rito  de  los  Frijoles  ("  Re-to  day  loce 
Free-ho-lais  ") — the  rivulet  of  the  beans — is  a  painted  cave,  and  a  shrine  in  which  are  two  carved 
mountain  lions  which  stand  in  high  relief  above  the  bed-rock  of  the  mesa.  This  is  the  famous 
"  Shrine  of  Makatch."  Here,  among  pinions  and  junipers,  which  have  doubtless  grown  up  since 
the  shrine  was  established,  is  a  place  that  must  be  the  American  Stonehenge.  Great  slabs  of  rock 
standing  on  end  make  a  rude  enclosure  in  which  are  found  the  stone  lions.  Figures  of  this  character 
are  used  to  this  day  by  the  Zuni  and  other  pueblo  Indians  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico  as  hunting 
fetiches,  but  many  of  the  fetiches  of  the  Zunis  are  tiny  little  things  that  could  easily  be  carried 
in  a  lady's  purse,  while  these  are  hfe-size.  They  have  suffered  somewhat  by  the  erosion  of  the 
centuries,  yet  they  are  still  strikingly  life-like  and  real.  The  heads  and  shoulders  have  become 
almost  indistinguishable,  but  the 
bodies  and  tails  are  still  clear  and 
distinct.  The  lions  are  in  the  crouch- 
ing position  always  taken  by  these 
animals  just  before  making  their 
deadly  spring. 

The  Grand  Canyon  of  the  YeHoiv- 
stone. — We  have  already  seen  some  of 
the  marvels  and  wonders  of  the 
Yellowstone  National  Park,  but  the 
best  wine  has  been  left  for  the  last.  For, 
however  striking  and  novel  the  Geysers 
are,  they  do  not  satisfy  the  imagination 
and  feed  the  spirit  as  does  the  Canyon 
with  its  thrilling  gamut  of  colour, 
its  expansiveness  and  its  rushing 
river. 

Thousands  of  descriptions  have 
been  written  of  the  Canyon  and  the 
Falls,  but  the  following  is  both  striking 
and  vivid.  It  is  from  the  pen  of  Dr. 
W.  Hoyt  :  "  Here  is  majesty  of  its 
own  kind,  and  beauty  too.  On  either 
side  are  vast  pinnacles  of  sculptured 
rock.  There,  where  the  rock  opens 
for  the  river,  its  waters  are  compressed 
from  a  width  of  two  hundred  feet 
between  the  Upper  and  Lower  Falls 
to  one  hundred  feet  where  it  takes 
the  plunge.  The  shelf  of  rock  over 
which  it  leaps  is  absolutely  level.  The 
water  seems  to  wait  a  moment  on  its 
verge  ;    then    it   passes  with   a  single 


ule  Co. 


From  Stereo  copyright  hyl  l". 

A    DENDRITIC    FOSSIL.    YELLOWSTONE    PARK. 
How   the    forces    of    Nature    combined    to     form    this    marvel     can    only     be 
conjectured.       But    to-day    this    giant    fossil     tree    stands    in    Yellowstone     Park, 
a   wonder  amongst    wonders 


6i8 


The   Wonders   of   the  World 


bound  of  three  hundred  feet  into  the  gorge  below.  It  is  a  slieer,  unbroken,  compact,  shining 
mass  of  silvery  foam.  But  your  eyes  are  all  the  time  distracted  from  the  fall  itself,  great 
and  beautiful  as  it  is,  to  its  marvellous  setting — to  the  surprising,  overmastering  canyon  into 
which  the  river  leaps  and  through  which  it  flows,  dwindling  to  but  a  foamy  ribbon  there  in 
its  appalling  depths.  As  you  cling  here  to  this  jutting  rock,  the  falls  are  already  many  hundred 
feet  below  you.     They  unroll  their  whiteness  down  amid  the  canyon  glooms. 

"  Besides,  you  are  fascinated  by  the  magnificence  and  utter  opulence  of  colour.  Those  are 
not   simply   grey   and    hoary    depths    and   reaches    and   domes    and    pinnacles    of    sullen    rock. 

The  whole  gorge  flames.  It  is  as 
though  rainbows  had  fallen  out  of  the 
sky  and  hung  themselves  there  like 
glorious  banners,  or  the  most  glorious 
sunset  you  ever  saw  had  been  caught 
and  held  upon  that  resplendent,  awful 
£  \  gorge." 

BjflK^     A  There   are  many  other  wonders  in 

^^^^|k^L  ^,  »  the    Yellowstone    which    must    not    be 

^^^^^^^T^.-f  ^ '"•'V,.  overlooked,    and    one    of    these    is    the 

^^^^^K '^wlK^'  ^.j^ttlt  *** ",  magnificent  Obsidian  Cliffs,  or  walls  of 

^^^^^B^l^^' W^^  '   T^  volcanic  glass. 

^fl^B/i\  .^flT^'A  V^  "  ^^^^^^    cliffs    rise    like    basalt    in 

almost  vertical  columns,  from  the 
eastern  shores  of  Beaver  Lake,  and 
are  probably  unequalled  in  the  world. 
They  are  from  one  hundred  and  fifty 
to  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in 
height  and  one  thousand  feet  in 
length,  although  there  are  croppings 
of  the  same  material  to  be  traced  as 
far  as  the  Lake  of  the  Woods,  two 
miles  beyond.  This  volcanic  glass 
glistens  like  jet,  but  is  quite  opaque. 
Sometimes  it  is  variegated  with  streaks 
of  red  and  yellow.  Large  blocks  of 
it  have  been,  from  time  to  time, 
detached,  forming  a  sloping  barricade 
at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees  to 
the  hot  springs  at  the  margin  of 
Beaver  Lake."  It  was  necessary  to 
build  a  carriage  road  over  these  blocks. 
This  was  accomplished  by  Colonel  Norris,  the  second  superintendent  of  the  Park,  and,  as  far  as  is 
known,  is  the  only  glass  road  in  the  world. 

HsL'va.sa  Canyon. — One  of  the  most  remarkable  tributaries  of  that  great  and  wonderful  waterway, 
the  Grand  Canyon  of  Arizona,  is  Havasu  Canyon,  often  called  Cataract  Canyon,  from  the  seven  ex- 
quisite and  beautiful  waterfalls  that  are  found  therein.  The  name  Havasu  is  made  up  as  follows : 
Haha,  water ;  vasu,  blue — the  blue  water,  and  the  Indians  who  live  in  this  canyon  are  the  Pai,  people ; 
hence  they  are  "  the  People  of  the  Blue  Water."  For  many  miles  the  canyon  winds  its  way  down 
deeper  and  deeper  into  the  strata  of  the  rock  of  which  this  whole  plateau  province  is  composed, 
with  scarcely  any  water,  save  here  and  there  in  a  rain-pocket,  until,  suddenly,  the  roar  and  rush 


Fj'om  Stffeo  coyyritjht  by'] 

LONE    STAR 

One    of     thi 


GEYSER, 


most    beautiful,    in 
geysers   of 


[//.  C.  While  L'<j 
YELLOWSTONE 

of    the   many 


formation   and   colouring. 
Yellowstone    Park. 


620 


The  Wonders   of  the  World 


of^waters  is  heard.  And  there,  about 
five  thousand  feet  below  the  surround- 
ing plateau,  a  thousand  springs  bubble 
forth  from  under  the  sohd  rock,  all 
uniting  to  form  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful of  streams,  the  Havasu — on  the 
banks  of  which  the  Havasupai  have 
their  homes.  The  village  extends  for 
about  two  miles,  then  the  canyon  de- 
scends in  a  series  of  abrupt  steps  or 
precipices,  and  at  each  step,  necessarily, 
a  waterfall  is  made.  The  first  is  com- 
paratively small  and  is  named  after  the 
former  chief,  Navaho  Fall.  The  second 
is  about  one  hundred  feet  high,  and  is 
called  Havasupai  Fall,  while  the  third 
is  one  of  the  most  wonderfully  beautiful 
falls  it  has  ever  been  my  good  fortune 
to  witness.  It  is  over  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  high,  about  five  hundred  feet 
wide,  and  is  composed  of  over  five  hun- 
dred separate  bodies  of  falling  water, 
some  large,  some  small,  few  of  them 
falling  the  whole  height  at  one  leap, 
but  arrested  in  their  descent  by  a 
peculiar  formation.  This  formation  is 
a  kind  of  limestone  or  sihca  accretion 
which  solidifies  about  the  twigs,  roots, 
stems,  vines  and  the  trees  which  hue 
the  edge  of  the  fall  and  the  face  of  the 
cliff  over  which  the  water  pours.  The 
result  is  a  large  number  of  stone  half-umbrellas,  each  adorned  with  lace-like  stalactites.  These 
"  umbrellas  "  are  at  varying  heights,  and  are  affixed  to  the  face  of  the  cliff.  The  effect,  then,  may 
easily  be  imagined.  The  water  of  the  fall,  being  divided  at  the  crest  over  an  extent  of  about  five 
hundred  feet,  falls  in  bodies  of  varying  amount  upon  these  umbrella-like  projections,  some  five,  some 
ten,  some  fifty,  some  seventy-five  feet  or  more  from  the  crest.  In  some  places  a  stream  falls  upon 
one  of  the  "  umbrellas  "  and  is  divided  upon  it,  to  fall  upon  two  others  a  few  feet  below,  and  so 
on.  The  whole  effect  is  of  entrancing  beauty  entirely  unlike  that  of  any  other  known  waterfall  in 
the  world. 

A  mile  further  a  leap  of  between  two  hundred  and  three  hundred  feet  is  made.  Here  the 
walls  are  almost  two  thousand  feet  high,  and  are  of  a  rich  red  colour.  Gigantic  trees  grow  in 
the  canyon  beneath,  and  the  stream  now  flows  through  a  wild  tangle  of  underbrush,  vines  and 
trees.  The  sediment  which  forms  the  limestone  and  other  accretions  before  described  here  catches 
upon  the  vines,  etc.,  and  builds  up  a  series  of  walls  containing  deep  pools,  somewhat  after  the  fashion 
of  the  pools  in  the  hot  springs  basin  at  the  Yellowstone.  These  pools  are  of  a  rich  blue  water  and 
some  of  them  are  very  deep. 

A  few  miles  below  Mooney  Falls  there  is  another  beautiful  fall,  called  Beaver  Falls,  and  then, 
the  canyon  growing  deeper  at  each  step  in  its  progression,  the  pure  blue  waters  of  the  Havasu  are 
swallowed  up  in  the  madly-turbulent  waters  of  the  raging  Colorado. 


Photo  6t/]  l(ieor<je  W/iarfou  Jai/if.s. 

THE    HAVASU    CANYON. 
A  view  of  the  Canyon    near    Mooney    Falls.      A    tragic    incident    gives   the 
name   to    this    spot,    for    here    a    prospector   lost    his    life    in    his    endeavours    to 
descend  these  precipitous  heights. 


North  America 


621 


Bone  Cabin  Qaarr:^,  Wyoming. — Wyoming  has  been  noted  for  three  vastly  different  kinds  of 
quarries,  all  practically  unknown  forty  years  ago.  These  are  (i)  the  quarries  near  Sherman,  on  the 
highest  points  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railway,  where  thousands  of  fossil  fish  have  been  removed.  These 
are  embedded  in  a  clay  which  has  hardened,  and  the  fish  now  have  the  appearance  of  skilfully  executed 
bas-reliefs.  Many  of  them  are  large,  and  all  are  interesting  and  valuable.  Thousands  have  been 
removed  in  a  perfect  condition.  (2)  Then  the  paleontologists  discovered  great  beds  of  the  bones  of 
giant  creatures  of  the  earliest  geological  ages — of  the  monsters  of  the  days  when  giant  birds  flew 
through  the  air,  mammoths  walked  through  the  forests,  and,  to  our  present  day  conception,  hideous 
monsters,  half  reptile  and  half  fish  or  bird,  lay  in  the  marshes  and  muddy  shores  of  prehistoric  lakes 
and  inland  seas.  (3)  The  latest  discoveries  are  of  extensive  quarries,  where  prehistoric  peoples 
found  quartzite  and  jasper,  out  of  which  to  make  chipped  implements  ;  some  of  these  quarries  cover 
acres  in  extent,  and  thousands  of  tons  must  have  been  removed  since  they  were  first  opened.  Nearly 
everywhere  in  Wyoming,  also,  but  more  especially  in  the  eastern  part,  circles  of  stones  have  been 
found.  These  are  now  known  to  have  marked  the  sites  of  ancient  tepees,  or  Indian  "  hide 
wigwams,"  the  stones  having  been  employed  for  the  purpose  of  holding  the  skins  in  place  after  they 
were  wrapped  around  the  tipi  [tepee)  poles.  The  Blackfeet  Indians  of  Montana  still  use  rocks  for 
this  same  purpose. 

The  quarries  are  found  in  the  spurs  of  the  Rawhide  Mountains  in  Eastern  Wyoming,  in  great 
patches  of  mesozoic  rock,  which  have  been  exposed  by  the  ravages  of  time.  In  these  strata,  mainly 
of  cretaceous  age,  occur  remarkable  beds  of  variously-coloured  quartzite,  jasper,  flint  and  moss-agate. 
On  Lighten  Creek,  twenty  miles  west  of  the  Rawhide  Mountains,  a  large  quarry  is  found  near  the 
crest  of  a  steep  hill  nearly  five  hundred  feet  above  the  plain.  The  slope  is  covered  with  spalls  of 
frosted-off  talus,  or  slide  rock,  as  it  is  commonly  called.  Near  the  summit,  where  quartzite  was 
exposed,  the  primitive  artisan  had  conducted  his  labour.     He  had  taken  advantage  of  the  edge  of 


BONE    QUARRY.    WYOMING. 
There   are   al    least    three   distinct    species   of    quarry    in    this    district.       On    the    highest    level    are   she    remains   of    fish,    lower    dovi-n 
are    the    bones   of    mammoths,    and    finally    valuable    proofs    of    extensive   workshops    for    the    making    of    flint    weapons     by     prehistoric 
man    have    been    discovered 


622 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


the  cliff,  where  quarrying  was  comparatively  easy,  and  had  worked  along  the  natural  fissures,  which 
had  been  widened  more  or  less  from  year  to  year  by  the  expansive  force  of  freezing  water  making 
cracks  large  enough  for  driving  in  stone  wedges.  A  vast  number  of  chips  are  scattered  in  and  about 
the  quarry.  Down  the  slope  the  spalls,  too,  had  been  worked  over  into  small  circular  pits,  where 
the  refuse  rock  had  been  carried  to  the  edge  and  deposited.  Throughout  the  entire  workings  there 
are  hundreds  of  wagon-loads  of  roughened-out  quarry  blocks  shaped  into  some  semblance  of  the 
implements  for  which  they  were  intended.  Back  from  the  works  on  the  summit  of  the  hill  are  a 
score  or  more  of  boulders,  around  which  are  innumerable  chips,  plainly  indicating  that  the  aboriginal 
artisan  had  used  the  rocks  for  seat  and  anvil  while  he  flaked  his  implements  into  the  desired  shape. 
Near  these  small  workshop-sites  many  fine  projectile  points  (arrow  and  spear  heads,  etc.), 
scrapers,  drills,  punches,  etc.,  were  found,  while  lying  on  the  refuse  were  hammer-stones  of  trap 


BONE    QUARRY,    WYOMING. 
The   giant    bones    of    a    mammoth    being    unearthed    from    the    Wyoming:    quarry,    the    richest    storehouse    of    prehistoric    remains 


the 


orld. 


very  badly  shattered,  thus  showing  hard  usage.  On  the  plains  below,  scattered  along  the  course 
of  the  creek,  were  the  tipi  circles  before  described,  indicating  that  a  very  large  village  at 
one  time  was  located  here. 

In  1906  an  expedition  from  the  University  of  Nebraska  explored  the  region,  spending  two  weeks 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  quarries  and  securing  over  two  thousand  implements  in  seven  stages  of 
manufacture,  from  the  rough  block  to  the  finished  implement. 

While  clambering  up  the  almost  inaccessible  slope  of  a  rocky  hill,  the  members  of  this 
expedition  discovered  a  remarkable  figure  laid  out  upon  the  hill — a  gigantic  representation  of  a 
human  figure  made  of  spalls.  It  was  fifty-five  feet  long  and  about  eight  feet  wide,  the  body 
looking  not  unhke  a  stone  wall.  The  spalls  forming  the  figure  had  been  obtained  near  by,  and 
had  been  carefully  selected  and  assorted  in  regard  to  conformity  as  well  as  size. 

The  Roosevelt  Dam,  Arizona. — The  life  of  Theodore  Roosevelt  has  been  a  remarkably  fortunate 
one.     Things  have  seemed  "  to  come  his  way  "  far  more  than  in  the  lives  of  most  men.     But  in 


624 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Photo  supplied  hyi  George  Wharlon  James. 

THE     ROOSEVELT    DAM,    ARIZONA. 

A    reservoir    Has    been    formed    by   ihis   dam    that    is   one    of   the    largest   artificial    lakes    in   the   world.       Enough    water   is   stored 
fiere    to   cover   Chicago,    a    city   extending    190   square   miles,    to   a    depth   of     ll-r   feet 

nothing  has  he  been  more  fortunate  than  in  the  fact  that  the  Reclamation  Act  was  passed  during 
his  administration.  I  venture  the  assertion  that  in  a  hundred  years  or  so  from  now  the  signing  of 
the  Irrigation  or  Reclamation  Act  on  June  17,  1902,  by  President  Roosevelt  will  be  regarded  as  by 
far  the  most  important  act  of  his  whole  career.  It  will  also  be  noted  as  one  of  the  proofs  of  his 
popularity  that  one  of  the  most  gigantic  masonry  dams  of  the  world,  that  this  Act  called  into 
existence,  should  be  called  the  Roosevelt  Dam. 

The  Salt  River  project  of  the  Reclamation  Service  is  one  of  the  most  important  it  has  yet  under- 
taken. About  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  acres  of  land  were  to  be  reached.  Here  was  a 
vast  area  of  desert,  the  major  part  of  which  was  taken  up  or  purchased  by  earnest  home-seekers, 
but  was,  however,  practically  useless  without  water.  With  water  it  was  capable  of  making  happy 
and  prosperous  homes  for  many  thousands. 

A  number  of  attempts  had  been  made  to  supply  needful  water  by  independent  companies 
organized  at  different  times  to  supply  different  sections,  but  the  Reclamation  Service  took  hold 
of  this  matter  in  a  large,  broad  way.  It  purchased  all  the  rights  of  the  old  companies,  including 
their  irrigation  systems,  and  then  proceeded  to  unite  them  in  one  new  and  complete  system  that 
would  stand  all  strains.  The  Roosevelt  Dam  is  but  one  part  of  the  great  Salt  River  project ;  but 
it  is  the  chief  feature  of  the  project.  It  is  located  just  below  the  junction  of  the  Tonto  Creek  with 
the  Salt  River. 

This  dam  has  created  a  reservoir  which  is  one  of  the  largest  artificial  lakes  in  the  world.  Its 
capacity  is  ten  times  greater  than  the  great  Croton  Reservoir,  which  supplies  New  York  City  with 
water.  There  is  water  enough  stored  there  to  cover  the  whole  State  of  Delaware  to  a  depth  of 
over  a  foot.  The  dam  is  of  solid  masonry,  235  feet  long  at  the  river  bed  ;  680  feet  on  top  ; 
thickness  at  the  bottom  measured  up  and  down  stream  168  feet ;  and  284  feet  above  the  lowest 
foundations.     It  is  an  arched  dam  with  the  arch  upstream,  and  the  solid  contents  of  the  dam 


North  America 


625 


is  329,400  cubic  yards  and  a  height  of  220  feet  is  actually  covered  by  the  water.  The  water-shed 
supplying  the  water  is  about  6,260  square  miles  in  extent.  The  lake  is  about  four  miles  wide  by 
twenty-five  miles  long.  Imagine  water  enough  to  fill  a  canal  300  feet  wide  and  nineteen  feet 
deep  extending  from  Chicago  to  San  Francisco.  Or,  if  its  enemies  wished  to  blot  Chicago  from 
the  map — Chicago,  the  great  Western  city  which  embraces  190  square  miles — let  them  turn  the 
water  of  the  Roosevelt  Dam  upon  it  and  it  will  cover  it  to  the  depth  of  eleven  and  a  half  feet. 

This  dam  is  located  seventy  miles  north-east  of  Phoenix.  The  first  thing  the  Government 
did  was  to  undertake  to  build  a  road  sixty  miles  long  from  Mesa,  so  that  the  machinery  could  be 
hauled  to  the  dam  site.  This  road  must  be  put  through  the  heart  of  a  rugged  range  of  mountains 
and  for  a  large  part  of  the  way  hterally  carved  from  the  sohd  rock 

In  November,  1905,  one  of  the  largest  floods  known  on  the  river  occurred,  the  rise  being 
over  thirty  feet  in  fifteen  hours,  or  from  a  flow  of  two  thousand  cubic  feet  per  second  to  a 
flow  of  one  hundred  and  thirty  thousand  cubic  feet  per  second.  This  flood  destroyed  all 
work  that  had  been  done  in  the  river  and  washed  away  some  of  the  masonry,  and  the  flood 
conditions  prevailed  so  that  for  five  months  practically  nothing  could  be  done.  As  soon  as 
the  flood  subsided,  work  began  again  and  was  kept  up  day  and  night,  until,  on  the  20th  of 
September,  1906,  the  first  stone  was  laid  in  the  dam.  When  it  is  remembered  that  each  stone 
had  to  be  thoroughly  washed,  turned  over  and  about  in  every  direction  so  that  the  inspectors 
could  see  if  there  were  any  flaws  or  cracks  in  it  before  it  was  put  into  place,  it  will  be  seen 
how  carefully  the  work  was   done.     From  September  20th  to  December   ist,   the  masons  were 


I-holo  „li-\  {l!,:n:r  Wh.irlon  Jam,:. 

IHE    GATEWAY,    THE     BLUE    CANYON, 
These  masses   o(    red     sandstone,     resembling   the    propylaea  ot    Egyptian    temples,    rise    abruptly     from    the    smooth    floor   of 

the  canyon   and    form    a    passage    of    majestic    splendour. 

41 


626 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


able  to  work  without  cessation  ;  then  the  winter  rains  began  and  drove  out  the  workers  and  kept 
them  out  until  April,  1907.  It  was  not  until  the  middle  of  June,  1907,  that  the  masonry  was 
uncovered,  thoroughly  cleaned  and  made  ready  for  the  resumption  of  work.  Another  flood 
occurred  in  the  summer  of  1907,  and  from  February  ist  to  June  ist,  1908,  the  entire  flow 
of  the  river  was  turned  over  the  north  end  of  the  dam  while  the  contractors  worked  on  the 
south  two-thirds.  This  was  done  in  order  that  the  six  iron  gates  of  the  sluice  tunnel  might 
be  put  in  position.  These  gates,  with  their  operating  accessories,  weighed  in  all  eight 
hundred  thousand  pounds,  and  were  constructed  and  erected  by  the  Llewellyn  Iron  Works 
of  Los  Angeles  at  a  cost  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars. 


Photo  by']  IG'forge  Wharton  James. 

THE    BLUE    CANYON.    COLORADO. 
Thsse   curious   rock    formations   are   composed   of    many-coloured    strata   of    sandstone,    streaked   witK    white   quartz,    and    carved 

into    fantastic    shapes    by    the   weather. 

Blue  Canyorif  Arizona. — Arizona  is  pre-eminently  a  land  of  natural  wonders.  Much  of  the 
country,  however,  is  desert,  dry,  hot,  inhospitable,  with  little  water,  no  population  save  a  few 
nomad  Indians,  and  no  business  or  industries.  Hence,  as  yet,  many  of  these  wonders  are  unknown 
to  all  save  the  few  adventurous  explorers  who  have  braved  all  its  dangers  in  order  to  enjoy  its 
charms.  In  riding  once  across  the  country  from  the  Hopi  agricultural  settlement  of  Moenkopi 
to  the  mesa  town  of  Oraibi,  we  crossed  a  portion  of  the  Hopi  and  Navaho  reservations  over 
which  no  wagon  as  yet  had  gone.  I  had  engaged  a  Navaho  Indian  guide,  and  he  informed 
me  of  a  wonderful  and  deep  canyon  that  it  might  be  difficult  for  us  to  enter,  though  there 
would  be  no  difficulty  to  our  going  out  on  the  other  side.  He  did  well  to  hint  at  difficulties  ;  for 
only  the  stoutest  heart  could  encounter  them  unmoved.  The  first  part  of  the  trail  was  cut  in  the 
sheer  cliff,  which  developed  into  a  steep  slope  of  sand,  so   steep  that  the  horses  had  difficulty  in 


TREE     BURIAL    IN     ALERT    BAY.    BRITISH    COLUMBIA. 

Every  Indian  trib^  has  a  form  of  burial  peculiar  to  itself.     That  of  the  Alert   Bay  Indians,   who  are  a    tribe  of  the  Haidas,    is    to  bum  their 
dead  and  then  place  the  box  containing  the  ashes  on   high   platforms  or  in  the  trees. 


628 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Photo  by'i  [George  Wharton  James. 

HOMES    OF    THE    PIMA    INDIANS.    BLUE    CANYON.    ARIZONA. 

The  house  in  the  background  is  the  Kan,  or  winter  home  of  the  owner:  the  willow  structure  is  also  used  as  a  refuge  from  inclement 

weather,  but  it   is  under  the  open  shelter  that  the  major  portion  of  the  year  is  spent  by  the  household. 

managing  the  descent.  Finally  there  came  a  leap  in  a  cloud  of  sand  and  dust,  and  we  were  safely 
arrived  in  the  wonderful  gorge  where  a  crowd  of  interested  Navahoes  intently  regarded  our 
invasion  of  their  hitherto  unviolated  precincts.  While  the  horses  were  feeding  on  the  cornstalks 
gained  from  the  Navahoes'  cornfield  I  went  up  the  canyon  and  found  it  all  that  it  had  been  de- 
scribed. Our  guide  had  termed  it  "The  Blue  Canyon  "^ — though  the  Indian  word  for  blue  is 
the  same  as  for  green.  Nor  was  this  definition  of  the  wonder-place  incorrect.  The  formation 
of  the  upper  part  of  the  canyon  was  in  a  richly-coloured  sandstone,  with  reds,  greens,  blues, 
greys,  chocolates,  carmines,  etc.,  streaked  with  white  quartz,  and  carved  by  the  weather  into 
fantastic  forms  and  shapes,  mainly  into  rude  cones  or  sugar- loaves,  crowned  with  nipples  of 
varying  sizes. 

The  gateway  through  which  we  emerged  to  the  outer  world  again  was  a  noble  mass  of  homo- 
geneous red  sandstone,  seamed  in  one  place  only.  It  would  not  have  required  much  stretch  of 
the  imagination  to  conceive  of  this  as  a  gateway  similar  to  the  propylaea  of  the  Egyptian  temples, 
leading  one  into  a  world  of  sculptured  mysteries  beyond.  Yet,  save  for  a  few  families  of  Navahoes, 
this  rocky  marvel  has  stood  since  it  was  created,  awaiting  the  time  when  those  should  discover  it 
who  would  fully  know  and  appreciate  it. 

The  Pima  Indians  of  Southern  Arizona  are  semi-nomads,  who  have  always  been  friendly  to 
the  white  men.  In  the  illustration  above  the  three  types  of  their  dwellings  are  shown.  The 
oval  structure  in  the  rear — a  winter  kan,  or  hut,  is  made  of  willows  covered  with  mud,  and  is 
for  use  in  the  cold  weather.  When  the  doorway  is  securely  closed  all  cold,  light  and  air  are 
so  perfectly  excluded  that  I  have  often  used  one  of  them  as  a  dark  room,  in  the  middle  of  a 
glaring  sunny  day,  for  the  changing  of  my  photographic  plates.  By  its  side  is  another  type  of 
dwelling,  made  of  the  willows  placed  upright  and  held  together  by  rods  placed  horizontally  across 
them ;    while  the  open  structure  is  the  living-place  during  a  large  part  of  the  year. 

Here,  in  the  open,  merely  sheltered  from  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  the  major  portion  of  their 
life  is  carried  on.  Cooking,  eating,  making  basketry,  pottery,  sleeping — all  takes  place  here,  with 
the  result  that  they  are  a  healthy,  happy,  vigorous  race,  appreciating  to  the  full  their  free  and 
out-of-door  existence. 


North   America 


629 


Disposal  of  the  Dead  in  Trees,  Alert  Bayi,  British  Columbia.— A  large  volume  might  easily 
be  written  on  the  burial  or  mortuary  customs  of  the  families  of  the  human  race.  In  Alaska  there 
is  quite  as  large  a  diversity  of  methods  of  burial  as  there  are  tribes.  For  instance,  the  Alents  fully 
clothe  and  mask  their  dead  and  then  swing  them  in  boats  or  specially-constructed  cradles  from  poles 
in  the  open  air.  Their  aim  seems  to  be  to  keep  the  body  as  far  from  the  ground  as  possible.  The 
Eskimo,  on  the  other  hand,  doubles  the  body  up,  places  it  on  the  side  in  a  plank  box,  which  is 
elevated  three  or  four  feet  from  the  ground  on  four  posts.  This  box  is  often  covered  with  painted 
figures  of  birds,  fishes  or  animals,  undoubtedly  the  totem  of  the  departed.  Sometimes  the  body  is 
wrapped  in  skins,  placed  upon  an  elevated  frame,  and  covered  with  planks  or  trunks  of  trees  so  as 
to  protect  it  from  wild  beasts.  The  Thhnkets  bum  their  dead  and  then  place  the  ashes  in  a  box 
somewhat  similar  to  that  used  by  the  Eskimos  and  elevate  it  in  the  same  fashion.  The  Chepewayans, 
who  belong  to  the  great  Tinneh  family,  never  bury  their  dead,  but  leave  the  bodies  where  they  fall, 
to  be  devoured  by  wild  beasts  or  birds  of  prey.  The  Atnas  of  the  Copper  River  burn  their  dead 
and  collect  the  ashes  in  a  new  reindeer-skin,  enclose  the  skin  in  a  box,  and  then  place  the  box 
on  posts  or  in  a  tree. 

In  one  of  the  smaller  straits  just  below  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound  are  two  islands,  the  Cormorant 
and  Malcolm.  In  the  former  is  a  small  inlet  known  as  Alert  Bay,  where  dwell  a  small  tribe  of  the 
great  family  of  the  Haidas.  The  custom  of  the  Alert  Bay  Indians,  when  any  member  of  their  tribe 
dies,  is  to  burn  the  body,  encase  the  larger  bones  and  ashes  in  boxes,  baskets  or  canoes,  or  wrap  them 
in  mats  or  bark,  and  then  place  them  on  platforms  or  in  trees,  where  they  remain  indefinitely.  As 
the  Wootkas  live  near  the  Haidas  in  this  region  and  the  two  tribes  often  come  in  contact  with 
each  other,  occasionally  the  custom  of  the  former  is  observed  in  the  disposal  of  the  Haida  dead. 
Instead  of  burning  the  body,  however,  it  is  carefully  wrapped  in  a  mat  made  of  cedar  bark 
and  then  deposited  in  the  tree.     Both  these  methods  obtain  at  Alert  Bay. 

The  Cliff  Dwellings  of  Walnut  Canyon,  near  Flagstaff,  Arizona.— Flagsta.ii    is   a   little    town, 


Photo  by'] 


[George  Wharton  Jatnes. 


THE    CLIFF    DWELLINGS    OF    WALNUT    CANYON. 


630 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


perched  high  on  the  shoulders  of  the  San  Francisco  Mountains  in  Northern  Arizona.  It  is  in  the 
centre  of  a  region  of  wonders.  The  mountain  itself  is  one  of  the  sacred  mountains  of  the  Navaho 
Indians.  Within  ten  miles  of  the  town,  among  the  basaltic  cliffs  near  the  Lava  Fields,  is  an 
interesting  series  of  caveate  dwellings  of  the  Indians.  These  are  mainly  good-sized  holes  of  irregular 
shape,  found  in  the  lava  deposits  on  the  tops  of  some  of  the  smaller  volcanic  peaks  east  and  south 
of  the  main  San  Francisco  range.  There  is  quite  a  number  of  them,  and  near  by  there  have  been 
picked  up  a  number  of  pieces  of  pottery  and  several  broken  me-ta-tes,  or  grinding-stones,  which 
evidently  have  seen  much  service. 

Ten  miles  from  these  cave-dwellings,  to  the  south  and  east,  is  Walnut  Canyon,  another  of  those 
deep  gashes  in  the  plateau  region  that  gives  its  character  to  the  Grand  Canyon  country.  The  trail 
to  the  cliff-dweUings  of  this  canyon  is  precipitous.     The  dwellings  themselves  are  found  on  narrow 


Photo  b!i] 


\_(ii'onie  Wharton  James. 


THE    CLIFF    DWELLINGS.    WALNUT    CANYON. 


shelves  or  ledges,  which  denote  the  changes  in  the  hardness  of  the  rocks.  They  are  all  of  the  same 
tjTpe.  The  under  portion  of  the  thick  stratum  of  rock,  being  much  softer  than  the  upper  portion, 
has  eroded  back  to  a  depth  of  eight,  ten  and  even  twelve  feet  from  the  face  of  the  cliff.  These  natural 
excavations  seem  to  have  been  perfectly  prepared  for  the  Indians  who  wished  to  use  them.  Building 
up  a  wall  in  front  and  dividing  walls  at  right  angles,  the  excavations  thus  formed  floor  and  ceiling 
and  the  dwelling  was  complete.  There  are  many  of  these  dwellings  in  the  canyon,  and  at  Flagstaff 
the  visitor  is  shown  a  number  of  pieces  of  pottery,  arrowheads,  stone  and  flint  hammers,  axes,  ears 
of  corn,  etc.,  which  have  been  excavated  from  them. 

Fossil  Footprints,  Nevada  State  Prison,  Carson  City,  Nevada. — One  of  the  earliest  things  I  heard 
soon  after  I  arrived  in  Nevada,  over  thirty  years  ago,  was  that  some  wonderful  footprints  had  been 
unearthed  by  the  convicts  in  the  stone  quarry  of  the  State  Prison  at  Carson  City.  To  fully  under- 
stand the  significance  of  this  find  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  general  idea  of  the  "  lay  of  the  land  " 
where  they  occur.     Carson  City  is  the  capital  of  Nevada,  and  is  situated  in  Eagle  Valley.     The 


Pho^*^  '^^]  {aeovoe  Wharton  James. 

WALNUT    CANYON.    ARIZONA. 

The   canyon     stretches    like   a    deep    gash    in    the    plateau    of    the    San    Francisco    Mountains,    and    here,  on    narrow    ledges   of    its 

precipitous  sides,  the  cave-dwellers  have  made  themselves  houses  by  walling  up  the  hollows  in  the  rock  face. 


632 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


valley  is  about  five  miles  long 
east  and  west,  and  three  miles 
wide,  and  is  almost  entirely 
surrounded  by  mountains.  On 
the  west  the  Sierras  rise 
abruptly  to  the  height  of  eight 
thousand  or  nine  thousand 
feet  above  sea-level — three 
thousand  five  hundred  to  four 
thousand  five  hundred  feet 
above  Carson — and  separate  it 
from  the  waters  of  Lake  Tahoe, 
the  largest  lake  of  its  altitude 
(one  thousand  five  hundred  and 
fifty  feet),  with  but  one  excep- 
tion, in  the  known  world. 

Dr.  George  Davis  Loudes- 
bach,  one  of  the  professors 
of  the  State  University  of 
California,  thus  writes  of  the 
footprints  : 

"  In   the  early   sixties  the 
Nevada     State     Prison      was 
estabhshed   on    a   small,    low, 
rounded  hill  at  the  north  end 
of  Prison   Ridge,    from    which 
it  is   separated    by    somewhat 
lower    ground.      The     site    is 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  east  of 
the  city  of  Carson.     It  was  re- 
cognized that  this  hill  was  made 
up  of  a  moderately  soft,  but  not 
friable,    sandstone,  which  was 
therefore  desirable  for  building 
purposes,  and  the  State  set  its 
wards  to  work  at  quarrying. 
"  As  the  excavation  progressed  casts  of  shells,  fragments  of  bones  and  other  animal  remains 
were  frequently  encountered.     On  raising  the  sandstone  blocks  from  certain  fine,  thin  layers  that 
allowed  the  blocks  to  be  readily  prised  up  from  the   quarry  floor,  several  series  of  unmistakable 
footprints  were  found  distinctly  preserved  in  the  shaly  bands. 

"  The  tracks  of  large  animals  are  not  among  the  most  commonly  preserved  relics  of  prehistoric 
life.  They  are  usually  destroyed  by  the  waves,  or  obliterated  by  the  gradual  flow  of  the  wet  mud 
back  into  place.  To  preserve  footprints  we  must  generally  have  fine  material,  like  mud  or  clay, 
and  it  must  be  soft  enough  to  receive  distinct  impressions  and  stiff  enough  to  hold  them. 

"  The  material  that  carries  the  impressions  in  the  Carson  quarry  is,  then,  the  very  fine  products 
of  rock  decay  that  were  washed  down  some  ancient  river  and  settled  in  a  layer  a  couple  of  inches 
thick  over  the  sand.  It  contains  considerable  clay  and  was  evidently  very  soft  and  plastic  when 
it  was  wet,  and  on  drying  became  rather  stiff.  After  the  impressions  had  been  received  sand 
was  washed  in  over  the  surface  and  gathered  to  the  depth  of  a  foot  and  a  half  to  two  feet.     Then 


Photo  by  permission  of]  [_T/ie  tiout/ieni  I'acijic  Railway. 

FOSSIL    FOOTPRINTS,    NEVADA. 

These  strange  relics  of  a  mammoth  species  have  been  unearthed  by  the  convicts 
of  the  Nevada  State  Prison  in  the  sandstone  quarries  of  Carson  City.  They  are  found  in  a 
stratum  of  stiff  clay  silted  over  with  sand  and  hardened  by  further  deposits  of  sand 
and   clay. 


North   America  633 

followed  another  period  of  more  quiet  deposition,  and  several  inches  of  fine  sandy  clay  were 
produced  which  were  marked  with  new  series  of  footprints,  and  these  again  were  covered  over  and 
protected  by  more  sand. 

"  In  the  Carson  deposit  mud  cracks  have  not  been  noticed,  but  ripple  marks,  rainprints, 
and  the  effect  of  wind  action  on  the  tracks  can  be  definitely  made  out,  and  these,  combined 
with  the  necessary  drpng  to  stiffen  the  soft  clay  layers,  seem  to  definitely  indicate  an  air-exposed 
but  still  wet  mud-flat  across  which  the  animals  tramped,  their  feet,  as  we  shall  see,  loaded  with 
mud. 

"  One  series  of  tracks  on  whose  nature  there  has  always  been  agreement  is  made  up  of  oval 
impressions  almost  circular,  a  little  longer  than  wide,  and  about  twenty-two  inches  in  greatest 
diameter.  These  imprints  are  deep — two  to  six  inches — the  foot  having  frequently  squeezed  out 
the  mud  at  the  edges  and  deformed  the  underlying  sand.  The  step  is  about  four  and  one-half  feet, 
or  the  footprints  on  the  right-  (or  left-)  hand  side  (that  is  the  successive  tracks  made  by  the  same 
foot)  are  nine  feet  apart.  These  tracks  were  evidently  made  by  some  large  elephant-like  animal, 
probably  the  mammoth. 

"  The  greatest  interest  has  centred  about  a  peculiar  type  of  track  that  has  been  found  in  several 
series,  and  much  more  abundant  than  those  already  described.  These  imprints  vary  in  size  in 
the  different  series,  and  correspond  to  larger  and  smaller  individuals.     They  vary  from  eighteen  to 


.; 

1                                                            -              .     "      " 

1 

ts 

' 

Pltolo  dy]  {/■'■  J-  Tabor  Frost. 

RUINS    IN    YUCATAN. 

The  Palace,  Sayil.  Yucatan,  an  imtnenae  building  which  has  a  frontage  of  265  feet,  with  a  depth  of  120  feet.  It  is  one  of 
the  very  rare  examples  of  a  three-storied  Mayan  building,  and  contains  to-aay  no  less  than  eighty-seven  rooms.  The  upper  story,  u 
will    be   seen    from    the    illustration,    is   supported    by    large   monolithic   stone   columns. 


634 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


twenty-one  inches  in  length  and  from  six  to  eight  or  nine  inches  in  width  and  are  rounded  at  each 
end,  the  forward  end  being  broader  than  the  back  part,  and  they  are  curved  about  with  the  hollow 
on  the  inside  as  in  the  imprint  of  a  human  foot.  The  longest  series  found  had  about  forty-four 
tracks,  and  there  are  four  or  five  others  with  from  five  to  fifteen  each.  The  tracks  form  a  single 
series  as  if  produced  by  a  two-footed  animal,  the  step  varying  from  twenty-seven  to  thirty-eight 
inches,  and  from  side  to  side  are  from  fifty-four  to  seventy-eight  inches  apart. 

"  These  are  the  tracks  that  gave  rise  to  considerable  discussion  in  the  early  eighties,  because 
certain  persons  believed  that  they  were  human,  and  if  so,  giants'  tracks ;  but  a  few  obvious 
objections  to  the  human  theory  present  themselves. 


I'holo  bii']  [f.  J.  Tahoi-  Pros!. 

RUINS    IN    YUCATAN. 

The    Caracol    or    "Winding    Staircase"    of    Chichen    Itza    stands    on    two    rectangular    terraces,    and    leads    up    to   a    turret,    which    it    is 

reasonable   to   suppose   was   an    observatory,    perhaps   connected   with    the   religion    of    sun   worship, 

"  The  most  satisfactory  explanation  is,  however,  that  the  tracks  were  made  by  one  of  the 
several  types  of  gigantic  ground  sloths.  These  remarkable  animals  are  known  to  have  migrated 
into  North  America  from  South  America  in  late  geological  times  (the  Phocene  period)  and  their 
remains  have  been  found  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States. 

"  There  are  other  tracks  associated  with  these  larger  ones.     The  most  easily  recognized  are  the 
many  footprints  of  a  large  bird  with  four  toes,  cross-shaped,  the  longer  toe  often  five  or  more  inches 
long,  the  step  a  foot  to  a  foot  and  a  half  long.       This  undoubtedly  represents  some  wading  bird  of 
the  crane  or  heron  type^ 

"  A  few  tracks  now  not  well  preserved  appear  to  represent  a  horse,  some  animal  of  the  deer 
type,  and  some  animal  of  the  wolf  type.  Early  observers  reported  tracks  of  some  bovine,  possibly 
a  bison,  and  of  a  large  cat,  a  tiger  perhaps,  but  these  are  not  now  distinguishable.' 


North   America 


635 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

By    F.    J.    TABOR    FROST. 

Yucatan. — Of  the,  marvels  of  man  in  the  New  World  the  ancient  cities  of  Central  America  are 
the  most  wonderful.  Throughout  Mexico,  Guatemala  and  Honduras  they  are  found  crumbling 
to  ruins  on  the  sun-baked  plateaux,  or  buried  in  the  thick,  dank,  primeval  forests.  The  finest 
examples  of  these  cities  are  found  in  that  little-known  peninsula,  Yucatan,  the  easternmost 
State  of  the  Mexican  Repubhc.  At  the  coming  of  the  Spaniards  many  of  them  were  occupied  by 
the  Maya  tribe,  whose  descendants  still  inhabit  the  lands  of  their  forbears.  Whether  the  art  of 
building,  carving,  writing  and  painting  was  actually  known  at  the  time  of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico 
is  uncertain,  for  all  Maya  records  were  carefully  consigned  to  the  flames  by  the  early  Spanish  priests. 
The  honour  of  discovering  America's  early  civilization  fell  to  Hernandez  de  Cordoba,  who,  in  1517, 
effected  a  landing  on  the  northern  coast  of  Yucatan.  He  was  obliged  to  retreat,  however,  almost 
immediately,  and  the  next  landing 
did  not  take  place  until  ten  years 
later,  when  Cortez  appointed  one 
of  his  suite,  Francisco  de  Montejo, 
for  its  conquest.  After  severe 
fighting,  Francisco  de  Montejo  was 
the  first  European  to  reach  Chichen 
Itza,  the  stronghold  and  most 
magnificent  city  of  the  Maya  race. 

In  the  choosing  of  a  site  for 
their  cities  the  first  consideration 
of  the  Mayas  was  water  supply. 
The  soft  limestone  formation  of 
Yucatan  is  of  such  a  nature  that 
it  absorbs  rain  almost  as  soon  as 
it  has  fallen,  hence  there  are  no 
rivers,  and  water  is  found  only 
in  enormous  potholes  or  wells 
formed  by  Nature.  There  are  two 
of  these  at  Chichen  Itza,  and  from 
them  the  city  partially  derives  its 
name^ — Chichen  meaning  "  mouth 
of  wells,"  the  Itza  being  added  on 
account  of  the  city  being  the  head- 
quarters of  the  ruling  cacique,  or 
chief,  of  Yucatan  bearing  that 
name.  Since  the  wells  at  Chichen 
were  amongst  the  largest  in 
Yucatan  and  the  water  supply 
was  abundant  there,  the  Mayas 
made  it  the  site  of  their  largest, 
and  certainly  architecturally  their 
finest,  city. 


Pholo  hyl 


[/■■.  J.  Tnbor  Frost. 
RUINS    IN    YUCATAN. 
At    Cancun     Island,    in    the    Yucatan     Channel,    this    colossal    head    was   found. 
It    formed    part    of    a    mighty     figure     that     was     placed    over     the     doorway    of    an 
important    building. 


636 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


ritoto  i)j/] 


[/•'.  J.  Tabor  Frost. 


RUINS    IN    YUCATAN. 

Portion    of    a   wall   at    Mayapan,    an    ancient    city    about   thirty    miles    to    the    south    of    Merida,    the    present    capital    of    Yucatan,      The 
decoration  is  not    carved,    but    moulded    plaster,    which    in    some   cities   was   more   common   than    carving    in    stone. 

The  city,  as  it  stands  to-day,  consists  of  a  group  of  six  stone  buildings  which  are  more  or  less 
intact,  and  the  remains  of  numerous  other  stone  structures  in  various  stages  of  ruin.  All  authorities 
agree  that  these  buildings  were  the  palaces  of  chiefs  and  officials,  temples  for  the  worship  of  the 
Maya  gods  and  religious  establishments  for  the  housing  of  the  priestly  castes,  the  abodes  of  the 
poorer  classes  being  palm-leaf  huts,  which  have  long  since  disappeared,  but  which  in  all  probability 
were  built  in  the  same  manner  as  the  natives  erect  them  to-day. 

The  building  which  is  the  most  magnificent  is,  to  give  it  its  Spanish  name,  El  Castillo.  As 
will  be  seen  by  our  illustration,  this  is  a  truncated  pyramid  faced  with  solid  slabs  of  stone  with  a 
building  on  the  top.  An  idea  of  the  size  of  the  pyramid  may  be  gathered  by  the  manner  in  which 
it  dwarfs  the  trees  around.  From  the  ground-level  to  the  top  of  the  building  it  is  over  one  hundred 
feet  hij,h,  while  the  base  lines  of  the  pyramid  are  about  two  hundred  feet  each.  The  four  sides  all 
but  face  the  four  cardinal  points,  and  on  each  of  them  is  a  gigantic  stairway  leading  to  the  building  on 
the  summit.  The  main  entrance  to  this  building  is  on  the  northern  side,  looking  towards  the  sacred 
cenote,  which  I  shall  refer  to  later.  The  doorway,  which  has  now  partly  fallen,  still  bears  traces  of 
its  former  magnificence.  It  is  twenty  feet  wide  and  the  lintel  was  supported  by  two  pillars  carved 
in  the  pattern  of  snakes  and  ending  at  their  bases  with  enormous,  open-mouthed,  flattened  heads  of 
these  reptiles,  the  now  empty  eye-sockets  being  at  one  time  filled  with  eyes  of  polished  jade.  The 
building  was  a  temple,  and  inside  the  doorway  is  the  Maya  Holy  of  Holies  which  was  used  only 
for  the  purpose  of  performing  the  most  sacred  rites.  Whether  the  ghastly  sacrificial  acts  celebrated 
on  the  pyramids  of  Mexico,  in  honour  of  the  God  of  War  and  the  Sun  Deity,  were  enacted  in  this 
temple  is  not  known,  but  it  would  seem  probable  that  those  flattened  heads  of  serpents  on  the 


z 
< 

< 
O 

D 


S   S 


s  - 


North  America 


639 


platform  of  the  pyramid  served  another  purpose  than  that  of  an  ornamental  base  for  the  door- 
pillars.  If  human  sacrifices  similar  to  those  performed  in  Mexico  were  practised  in  Yucatan,  then  it 
was  on  the  flattened  heads  of  these  serpents  that  the  ceremony  of  tearing  the  palpitating  heart  out 
of  the  human  sacrificial  victim's  body  was  performed  by  the  Maya  priests,  and  the  body,  scarcely 
lifeless,  was  rolled  down  the  side  of  the  pyramid  to  be  sacramentally  eaten  by  the  hundreds  of  wor- 
shippers congregated  on  the  plains  below. 

From  the  northern  base  of  El  Castillo  a  forest  path,  showing  traces  here  and  there  of  the 
remains  of  a  cemented  roadway,  leads  to  one  of  the  grimmest  pools  in  the  world.  It  is  one  of  the 
wells,  or  cenotes,  from  which  Chichen  takes  its  name.  An  enormous  circular  basin,  two  hundred 
feet  in  diameter,  its  sides  drop  sheer  and  perpendicular  over  one  hundred  feet  to  its  hmestone  bottom. 
As  you  stand  on  the  brink  and,  clutching  the  branch  of  a  tree  for  safety,  gaze  over  its  precipitous 
edge  into  the  black  water  seventy  feet  below,  you  do  not  wonder  that  the  ancient  Mayas  saw  in  its 
sepia  depths  the  home  of  their  Rain  God.  In  a  report  sent  to  Madrid  from  Yucatan,  in  1579,  the 
sacrificial  ceremony  of  throwing  human  victims  into  the  cenote  to  appease  the  wrath  of  the  Rain 
God  in  times  of  drought  was  described,  but  for  centuries  there  was  nothing  to  verify  this  tale. 
In  1906  the  dredging  of  the  bottom  of  the  cenote  was  commenced,  and  during  my  visit  to 
Yucatan  in  that  year  several  human  skulls  and  bones  were  brought  to  the  surface.  On  close 
examination  these  human  remains  proved  without  exception  to  be  those  of  females  of  immature 
age,  and  this  confirmed  once  and  for  all  the  truth  of  the  early  Spanish  report. 

To  the  south-west,  one  hundred  and  thirty  yards  from  El  Castillo,  is  what  is  now  known  as  the 
Tennis  Court.  Running  north  and  south  are  two  parallel  walls  twenty-five  feet  high,  thirty  feet 
thick,  two  hundred  and  seventy-four  feet  long  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  apart.  The  court 
was  used  for  a  ball  game  of  which  the  ancient  Mayas  were  very  fond.  It  was  played  by  teams  whose 
object  it  was  to  get  a  ball  made  of  rubber  through  a  hole  in  a  stone  disc  jutting  out  from  the  upper 


Pholo  by-\  [.f.  J.  Tahor  Fivst. 

RUINS    IN    YUCATAN. 

An  Eurched  gateway  at  Labua,  Yucatan.  whicK  is  remarkable  as  being  the  nearest  approach,  so  far  discovered  in  Central 
America,  to  the  classic  archwajs.  It  is,  however,  distinctly  Mayan,  since  the  apex  is  formed  with  a  fiat  stone,  common  in  alt 
Mayan    buildings. 


640 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


part  of  the  wall  on  either  side.  One 
of  these  stone  discs,  measuring  all 
but  an  inch  of  four  feet  in  diameter, 
pierced  through  its  eleven  and  a 
half  inches  of  thickness  with  a  hole 
one  foot  seven  inches  in  diameter, 
is  still  in  position.  The  Spanish 
historian  tells  us  that  the  ball  was 
bounced  from  the  hips  of  the 
players  through  the  ring,  and  the 
winning  team  had  the  right  to  take 
as  their  prize  all  the  clothes  of  the 
spectators  who  ranged  themselves 
on  the  walls  above.  At  each  end 
of  the  court  stand  the  remains  of  a 
small  temple,  and  on  the  eastern 
wall  at  the  southern  end  is  a  build- 
ing called  the  Temple  of  the  Tigers, 
which  gets  it  name  from  an  elabo- 
rately-carved frieze  design  of  these 
animals  around  the  wall  coping.  On 
the  walls  of  the  interior  of  this  build- 
ing are  the  most  remarkable  Maya 
paintings  that  have  so  far  been  dis- 
covered. They  depict  the  scenes  of 
every-day  life  as  it  was  lived  by  the 
Mayas  before  the  coming  of  the 
Spaniards,  in  greens,  reds,  blues  and 
yellows.  The  designs  are  crude  and 
out  of  proportion,  but  much  can  be 
gleaned  of  the  life  of  the  past  in- 
habitants of  Chichen. 

To  the  south  of  El  Castillo  stands  a  ruined  building,  known  as  the  Caracol,  from  a  "  winding 
staircase  "  by  which  the  top  is  reached  from  the  interior.  The  building  is  turret-shaped  and  stands 
on  two  terraces  one  above  the  other,  the  lower  one  measuring  two  hundred  and  twenty  feet  by  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet.  The  top  of  the  building  was  about  sixty  feet  from  the  ground-level  and 
on  it  was  originally  an  observation  platform,  which  was,  it  is  believed,  used  for  the  study  of  the 
heavens  and  was  possibly  connected  with  sun  and  star  worship. 

Only  a  short  distance  from  the  Caracol  is  another  building  which  is  a  fine  example  of  Mayan 
architecture.  It  is  known  as  the  Casa  de  las  Monjas  ("  Nuns'  House  "),  probably  on  account 
of  its  having  been  set  apart  for  the  housing  of  that  body  of  young  maidens  who  were  known 
to  have  performed  special  services  in  the  temples,  and  whose  ultimate  fate  was  in  all  probability 
the  cenote.  The  photograph  of  the  building  here  reproduced  shows  that  it  has  well  withstood 
the  elements  for  four  centuries  at  least,  and  gives  a  good  idea  of  Maya  architectural  ornamentation. 
The  other  buildings  standing  to-day  at  Chichen  Itza  are:  the  Akad-zib  ("  House  of  Mysterious 
Writing"),  which  gets  its  name  from  a  series  of  Mayan  hieroglyphics  over  the  doorway;  the 
Chichanchob  ("  Red  House"),  in  allusion  to  the  remarkable,  possibly  symboUc,  decorations  on  the 
interior  walls,  which  take  the  form  of  a  hand  painted  in  red,  which  design  is,  curiously  enough,  found 
also  in  parts  of  Asia  ;  and  a  small  building  near  the  Casa  de  las  Monjas. 


Pholo  i)j/] 


[/■•.  J.  Tabor  I'rost. 


RUINS    IN    YUCATAN. 


Pyramidal  Temple  known  as 
city  of  Chichen  Itza,  Yucatan, 
discovered  in  Central  America. 


'  El    Castillo,"    which    forms    part    of    the   ancient 
me   of    the    most    wonderful    ruined    groups   so    far 


*^  c 

T3   < 


•a   « 


•I  E 


u  # 


Central  and   South  America 


641 


Outside  Yucatan  the  Maya  civilization  extended  to  Tabasco,  where  Palenque,  one  of  the  largest 
of  the  ancient  cities,  was  discovered  during  the  Conquest ;  to  Copan  and  Quirigua,  on  the  border- 
lands of  Guatemala  and  Honduras,  which  are  distinct  from  other  ruined  groups  by  the  appearance 
of  monolithic  stelae,  varying  from  eight  to  thirteen  feet  in  height  and  carved  on  all  four  sides.  Our 
illustration  shows  the  elaborate  manner  in  which  the  design  was  carried  out  on  these  monuments. 
It  is  wonderful  to  think  that  such  work  was  executed  without  the  aid  of  metal  tools,  but  it  is 
distressing  that  the  art  of  carving,  painting  and  the  knowledge  of  their  hieroglyphic  writing  has 
been  lost  to  the  Mayas  for  ever. 


CENTRAL  AND   SOUTH   AMERICA. 

CHAPTER    XX. 

By    LEWIS    8PENCE. 

The  Poas  Crater. — Mount  Los  Votas,  or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  the  Poas  Crater,  is  one 
of  the  great  chain  of  volcanoes  which  tower  upwards  from  the  sea  and  form  the  backbone  of  the 
isthmian  countries  of  Central  America.  It  is  eight  thousand  six  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  in 
height.     The  division  of  Costa  Rican  volcanoes  to  which  the  Poas  belongs  was  once  entirely  separate 


[J.  Uolchkiss,  Esq.,  t'.ll.d.S. 


Photo  by  perinunion  of] 

THE    POAS    CRATER. 

Pom  ia  one  ot  the  be.t-known    of    the  "mud    volcanoe. "  ot    Central    America.     The    illustration    depict,    the    boiling    and 

bubbling  flood  of  mingled  mud  and  lava  on   the  point  of   bursting  forth   in  eruption. 

42 


642 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


from  the  more  northerly  group,  and  the  depression  which  existed  between  them  permitted  a  junction 
of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  the  Caribbean  Sea,  which,  had  it  survived  until  the  present  time,  would  in 
all  probabiHty  have  rendered  the  Panama  Canal  a  work  of  supererogation.  Indeed,  on  the  slopes 
of  some  of  the  Costa  Rican  mountains  deposits  of  fossil  marine  animals  and  plants  are  occasionally 
found.  The  fissure  between  the  two  oceans  was,  however,  gradually  filled  up  by  ashes  from  the 
surrounding  volcanoes,  and  by  lava  and  other  eruptive  matter,  which  became  gradually  solidified 
by  the  sediment  from  the  running  waters.  The  Poas  almost  overlooks  the  city  of  San  Jose,  the  capital 
of  Costa  Rica. 

The  Panama.  Canal.— Tht  construction  of  a  canal  through  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  for  the  purpose 
of  ship  traffic  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans  may  justly  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most 
gigantic  enterprises  ever  undertaken  by  humanity.  Before  the  present  site  was  agreed  upon, 
consideration  was  given  to  no  less  than  nineteen  possible  routes  ;   and  at  least  one  great  and  tragic 


/'/■ow  stereo  eopyrUjhl  hy'\ 


IH.  a.    White  Co. 


CULEBRA    CUT.    PANAMA    CANAL. 
A    view    at    Bas    Obispo. 


attempt  was  made  to  pierce  the  narrow  neck  which  divides  the  commerce  of  the  West  from  the 
markets  of  the  East.  At  the  present  rate  of  progress  the  probable  date  of  the  opening  of  the  Canal 
to  the  commerce  of  the  world  will  be  January  ist,  1915  ;  but  as  Colonel  Goethals,  the  chief  engineer, 
has  wisely  kept  a  year  in  reserve  in  case  of  unforeseen  accidents,  such  as  landslides,  it  is  just  possible, 
if  no  such  catastrophe  occurs,  that  the  Canal  will  be  navigable  in  three  years'  time.  At  the  present 
juncture  the  eyes  of  the  entire  world  of  commerce  are  directed  to  the  Canal  zone.  Here  is  gathered 
an  army  of  forty  thousand  men  and  the  greatest  collection  of  machinery  ever  brought  together  for 
the  accomplishment  of  any  single  undertaking. 

When  the  Canal  is  completed,  it  will  be  capable  of  floating  the  largest  ships  now  built  or  building. 
Its  inception  as  a  waterway  will  shorten  the  distance  by  sea  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco  by 
five  thousand  miles,  and  that  from  Liverpool  to  Western  American  ports  by  two  thousand  six  hundred 
miles.     Japan  and  Australia  will  be  brought  nearer  to  New  York  than  to  London  or  Hamburg. 

The  Canal  was,  in  the  first  instance,  a  dream  of  the  French  Government.  De  Lesseps,  the  gifted 
engineer  who  had  so  successfully  carried  through  the  construction  of  the  Suez  Canal,  was  entrusted 


f  ?^ 


From  Stereos  copyright  by'\ 


[//.  C,  White  Co. 


THE    PANAMA    CANAL. 
Views    of    operations    in    the    famous    Culebra    Cut. 


644 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


with  its  direction.  Into  the  cir- 
cumstances which  hastened  the 
downfall  of  the  scheme  there  is 
now  no  necessity  to  enter.  For 
half  a  generation  the  rotting 
machinery  used  in  the  French 
venture  lay  between  Panama  and 
San  Pablo,  a  sad  reminder  of  the 
failure  of  a  mighty  people.  Then 
the  United  States  of  America 
stepped  into  the  breach.  Failure 
as  disastrous  as  that  of  France 
was  confidently  predicted.  But 
with  characteristic  energy  the 
American  people  set  about  their 
task  in  an  undaunted  spirit,  and 
the  best  men  in  the  engineering 
corps  of  the  United  States  army 
threw  themselves  into  the  breach, 
and  formulated  a  system  of  organi- 
zation which  good  authorities  state 
has  had  few  parallels  in  the  history 
of  great  enterprises. 

After  much  controversy  as  to 
the  respective  merits  of  a  lock 
and  a  sea-level  canal,  the  former 
was  definitely  decided  upon  in 
1904,  and  work  was  commenced. 
Six  locks,  all  identical,  will  be 
located  at  suitable  points,  three  at  Gatun,  one  at  Pedro  Miguel,  and  two  at  Miraflores.  The  total 
length  will  be  forty-six  miles,  and  the  depth  forty  feet.  Of  this  length  thirty-nine  miles  will  be 
carried  through  hilly  country,  the  soil  of  which  is  being  rapidly  displaced  by  seventy  steam  shovels, 
at  a  rate  of  eighty-four  thousand  cubic  yards  of  earth  per  eight-hours'  day.  The  estimated  cost  of 
the  engineering  and  construction  work  alone  is  £59,553,200,  and  the  total  cost,  including  purchase 
price  of  the  Canal,  £75,040,200. 

At  the  present  time  the  first  impression  conveyed  to  the  mind  of  a  spectator  is  that  of  noiseless, 
relentless  activity  and  thorough-going  organization. 

The  Atlantic  and  Pacific  approaches  to  the  Canal  have  practically  been  completed  for  several 
miles,  and  powerful  dredgers  of  modern  type  are  working  incessantly  night  and  day  deepening 
the  channels.  One  is  particularly  struck  by  the  absence  of  human  labour  in  the  zone  of  the  Canal 
proper.  Here  all  is  effected  by  the  giant  arms  of  modern  machines.  It  is  in  the  locks  at  Miraflores, 
at  the  great  "  cut  "  at  Culebra,  and  at  the  Gatun  dam  and  locks  that  the  majority  of  the  forty 
thousand  toilers  are  located.  For  example,  but  few  men  are  to  be  seen  at  work  upon  the  mighty 
monoliths  which  will  form  the  walls  of  locks  capable  of  containing  ships  one  thousand  feet  in  length 
with  one  hundred  feet  of  beam.  The  enormous  quantity  of  rock  and  earth  excavated  is  being 
removed  by  railway  trucks  to  be  employed  in  the  construction  of  the  great  dams  and  breakwaters, 
and  to  level  up  the  surrounding  swamps.  The  subdivision  of  labour  has  been  most  cunningly 
devised,  and  the  various  departments  work  with  a  smoothness  which  cannot  fail  to  strike  the 
observer  as  remarkable. 


From  Stereo  copyy'ight  &y]  [//.  ''.  ^Vhile  I'o. 

CULEBRA    CUT,     PANAMA. 

This  photograph  of  the  famous  Culebra  "  Cut  "  shows  the  effect  of  a 
recent  landslide.  The  earth  in  the  vicinity  of  the  "  Cut  "  moves  at  a  terrific 
rate,  and  will  have  to  be  dredged  out  of   the  canal  when   filled. 


Central   and   South   America 


645 


At  various  points  the  difficulties  experienced  by  the  engineers  can  only  be  described  as  gigantic. 
The  Chagres  River  was  one  of  these.  It  has  a  total  drainage  area  of  one  thousand  three  hundred 
and  twenty  miles,  and  when  in  flood  carries  down  vast  quantities  of  silt  and  boulders,  forming  an 
almost  insurmountable  obstacle  to  the  construction  of  a  canal  through  its  valley.  Then  for  a 
distance  of  nine  miles  runs  another  obstacle,  almost  as  formidable,  the  celebrated  Culebra  "  cut." 
In  this  tract  the  rock,  which  was  soft,  was  easily  removed,  but  its  superimposition  upon  beds  of 
slippery  clay  caused  numerous  landslides,  which  cannot  be  stopped — one,  the  Cucharaca,  being  a 
movement  of  soil  half  a  mile  in  length,  with  an  area  of  twenty-seven  acres  and  containing  twenty- 
seven  thousand  cubic  yards  of  soil !  This  mass  moved  in  1907  at  the  rate  of  fourteen  feet  in 
twenty-four  hours.  To  the  American  engineers  these  stupendous  difficulties  appeared  by  no  means 
insuperable.  By  the  erection  of  a  huge  dam  at  Gatun  and  a  smaller  one  at  Pedro  Miguel,  thirty-two 
miles  away,  they  flooded  the  whole  Chagres  valley  to  a  height  of  eighty-five  feet  above  sea-level,  thus 
transforming  a  roaring  torrent  into  a  serene  lake,  with  an  area  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-four  square 
miles.  The  landslides  resulting  from  the  Culebra  cut  have  been  minimized  by  raising  the  cut 
eighty-five  feet  higher,  and  making  it  three  hundred  feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  so  that  the  dredging  of 
loose  earth  can  be  easily  effected. 

The  Gatun  dam  presented  another  serious  problem  to  the  indefatigable  engineers  who  had 
embraced  this  gigantic  undertaking.     The  site  adopted  for  it  was  found  to  possess  a  base  so  soft 
as  to  be  incapable  of  supporting  a  heavy  load  such  as  the  great  barrier  would  present.     Moreover, 
the  material  to  hand  for  constructing  the  dam,  consisting  as  it  did  of  soft  sand  and  clay,  was  not  of 
the  most  desirable  character.     This  difficulty  was  met  by  giving  the  dam  a  base  so  extended  as  to 
ensure    stability,    and    its    dimensions 
at  sea-level  are  no  less  than  nineteen 
hundred  feet,  with  a  slope  in  the  sides 
of  about  ten  to  one.     Its  height  is  only 
one  hundred  and  fifteen   feet,  and  its  . 

breadth  nine  thousand  feet.  The  out- 
cry among  engineers  in  the  United 
States  as  to  the  impossibility  of  forming 
a  dam  at  Gatun  was  so  great,  that  the 
Canal  authorities,  "  for  sentimental 
reasons,"  constructed  it  enormously 
greater  in  width  and  flatter  in  slope 
than  was  necessary. 

Near  one  end  of  this  dam  are 
the  Gatun  locks — three  lifts,  the  total 
height  of  which  is  eighty-five  feet. 
One  of  these  will  be  used  for  north- 
bound and  the  others  for  south-bound 
vessels.  Near  the  other  end  of  the  dam 
is  a  spillway,  three  hundred  feet  wide, 
through  which  the  surplus  water  of  the 
lake  win  be  discharged.  At  the  top  of 
this  will  be  a  series  of  gates  capable  of 
being  opened  in  time  of  flood  for  the 
regulation  of  the  height  of  the  lake. 
This  spiUway  is  capable  of  discharging 
water  at  the  rate  of  one  hundred  and 
forty  thousand  cubic  feet  per  second. 


Fimn  Stereo  i-opjiru/hl  by} 

CULEBRA    CUT.    PANAMA. 


[//,  r,   ]VMIe  Co. 


The    clever    banking    at    the    side    of    the   "  Cut  **  is    well    indicated    in 

this    photograph.     This    especial    tract     has    cost     the  United    States    tnore 

treasure  and  her  engineers    more  anxiety    than    would  have  resulted    from  a 
minor  war. 


646 


The   Wonders   of   the  World 


At  the  southern  end  of  Gatun 
Lake  there  is  a  twin  lock,  and 
at  Miraflores  Lake  two  locks, 
and  at  the  latter  place  a  spill- 
way will  also  be  constructed. 
The  general  plan  of  the  Canal 
occupied  years  of  study  by 
eminent  engineers,  and  is  now 
universally  acknowledged  to 
be  the  best  possible  scheme 
that  could  have  been  arrived 
at. 

Not  only  did  the  projectors 
of  this  gigantic  task  have  to 
combat  the  unruly  obstacles 
placed  in  their  way  by  nature, 
but  they  had,  moreover,  to 
face  the  problems  presented  by 
tropical  diseases.  The  district 
in  which  the  Canal  was  situated 
was  a  veritable  hot-bed  of 
malaria  and  yellow  fever.  The 
climate  of  the  Isthmus  was 
favourable  to  the  dreaded 
fever-carrying  mosquito,  and 
the  extermination  of  these 
pests  had  to  be  faced.  This 
was  effected  by  draining  and 
destroying  every  pool  of  stag- 
nant water  in  which  their 
larvae  might  accumulate,  and 
covering  with  oil  every  swamp, 
drain  and  pool  within  reason- 
able radius  of  a  human  habitation.  The  isolation  of  fever  patients  was  also  strictly  enforced.  In  con- 
sequence of  these  precautions  the  death-rate  among  the  labourers  employed  in  the  canal  construction  is 
only  11.95  per  thousand,  a  figure  which  will  compare  favourably  with  that  of  most  European  com- 
munities. Hospital  and  living  accommodation  has  been  brought  as  near  perfection  as  it  is  possible 
to  make  it.  Indeed,  the  keynote  of  the  entire  scheme,  down  to  the  smallest  detail,  is  "  efficiency." 
Quite  recently  plans  for  large  harbours  at  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific  ends  of  the  waterway  have 
been  approved,  and  the  work  is  being  put  in  hand  at  once.  At  Colon  there  are  to  be  five  docks, 
capable  of  accommodating  ten  of  the  largest-sized  vessels,  and  here  also  the  Royal  Mail  Steam  Packet 
Company  has  acquired  a  large  tract  of  ground  in  view  of  eventualities.  It  is,  however,  on  the  Bay 
of  Panama  that  the  greatest  activity  is  being  displayed,  as  it  is  intended  to  construct  there  the 
great  transhipping  harbour  of  the  Canal.  The  docks  are  to  have  an  area  in  the  turning  basin  alone 
of  two  hundred  and  seventy-one  acres.  It  is  calculated  that  the  crossing  of  the  Canal  will  occupy 
ten  hours  at  least,  as  ships  will  not  be  permitted  to  pass  in  and  out  of  the  waterway  under  their 
own  power. 

The  Volcano  of  Izalco. — That  Nature  had  not  completed  the  manufacture  of  volcanoes  some 
hundred  and  forty  years  ago  was  proved  by  the  sudden  formation  of  the  volcano  of  Izalco,  in  the 


From  Stereo  copyriijht  hy'\ 


CULEBRA 
Rock     work     £ 


CUT.     PANAMA. 

t     Contractor's      Hill. 


648 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Photo  by'\ 


[J.  Hotchkiss,  Esq.,  F.R.G.S. 


THE    CRATER    OF     IZALCO. 


Filled  with  red   hot  volcanic    rock    which    ii^nites    the    gaseous    vapour    hanging    over    the    mountain,    this    brilliantly    illutninated 
crater  has  caused    Izalco   to  be   nicknatned   "The   Lighthouse   of  Salvador." 

Republic  of  San  Salvador,  where  it  arose  in  the  year  1770.  The  place  upon  which  it  now  stands 
was  previously  covered  by  numerous  hot  springs  and  volcanic  vents,  from  which  at  intervals  natural 
gas  arose,  and  in  the  proximity  was  a  large  cattle-ranche,  the  inhabitants  of  which  grew  seriously 
alarmed  at  underground  rumblings  and  other  disturbances,  which  grew  more  threatening  until  the 
23rd  of  February,  1770,  when  the  soil  was  upthrown  in  the  vicinity  of  the  hacienda,  casting  forth 
lava,  fire  and  smoke.  From  day  to  day  the  condition  of  the  neighbourhood  grew  steadily  worse, 
and  showers  of  sand  and  stones  were  interspersed  with  the  lava  which  continued  to  flow  without 
intermission.  From  that  time  to  this  the  disturbances  have  continued,  and  the  matter  ejected 
has  formed  a  mountain  some  six  thousand  feet  high,  from  which  every  quarter  of  an  hour  cinders, 
ashes  and  smoke  are  discharged  in  dense  volumes.  Frequent  terrific  explosions  occur,  and  at  night 
the  surrounding  country  is  illuminated  at  intervals  by  the  blaze  from  the  glowing  mass  within.  From 
the  depths  of  this  veritable  inferno  great  masses  of  red-hot  rock  are  ejected,  and  these  setting  fire 
to  the  gaseous  vapours  which  hang  over  the  volcano  create  an  effect  like  lightning-flashes.  This 
display  has  caused  Izalco  to  be  nicknamed  "  The  I^ighthouse  of  Salvador." 

In  1817  Izalco  had  a  brief  period  of  repose,  but  in  1844  and  1856  terrible  eruptions  ensued  after 
the  seventeen  years  of  calm.  Again  in  1859,  i860,  1864,  1868  and  1869,  and  again  in  September, 
1902,  enormous  streams  of  lava  were  ejected,  which  turned  the  surrounding  country  for  leagues 
around  into  a  temporary  wilderness.  Izalco  is  the  principal  volcanic  outlet  of  the  third  division  of 
the  seismic  chain  which  stretches  from  Panama  to  Oaxaca,  in  Mexico  ;  and  as  a  volcano  which  has  been 


Central   and   South   America 


649 


formed  within  the  last  century  and  a  half,  is  regarded  by  geologists  with  much  the  same  sort  of 
interest  that  a  new  heavenly  body  would  awake  in  the  breast  of  an  astronomer.  It  is  a  peculiarity 
of  the  range  to  which  Izalco  belongs  that  all  earthquakes  which  take  place  in  its  vicinity  occur  at 
close  quarters  to  the  volcanic  peaks  of  the  series,  and  not  at  a  distance  of  from  four  to  five  miles 
from  them,  as  is  generally  the  case  in  most  European  and  Asiatic  seismic  centres.  The  association 
of  the  earthquakes  with  the  volcanoes  is  so  intimate  that  there  can  be  no  question  that  one  is 
interdependent  upon  the  other. 

The  Volcano  of  CotopaxL — The  volcano  of  Cotopaxi,  in  Ecuador,  has  been  called  the  "  ideal 
volcano."  Its  shape  is  one  of  peculiar  symmetry,  and  it  is  in  constant  action.  The  history  of 
Ecuador  is  full  of  these  eruptions.  The  flames  of  Cotopaxi  ht  the  first  battle  in  the  country  between 
the  white  man  and  the  red.  This  mass,  of  an  altitude  of  six  thousand  feet,  presents  the  peculiar 
spectacle  of  a  mountain,  the  eastern  side  of  which  is  snow-clad,  while  the  western  side  is  almost 
bare.  This  phenomenon  is  due  to  the  Atlantic  trade-winds,  which  deposit  their  moisture  on  the 
eastern  slope.  Although  always  in  eruption,  Cotopaxi  has  caused  at  prolonged  intervals  the  most 
frightful  catastrophes.  In  1877  a  perfect  deluge  of  boiling  water,  containing  huge  rocks  and  stones, 
was  ejected  from  its  depths  upon  the  plains  beneath,  razing  all  human  habitations,  and  levelling  all 
obstructions  in  its  path.  Its  passage  resembled  an  enormous  column  of  cinders,  which  the  volcano 
hurled  to  a  distance  of  nearly  three  miles,  and  many  of  which  were  actually  carried  to  the  shores 
of  the  Pacific. 

Cotopaxi  towers  to  a  height  of  six  thousand  feet,  and  its  crater  measures  two  thousand  three 
hundred  feet  from  north  to  south,  and  sixteen  hundred  and  fifty  feet  from  east  to  west.  Many 
travellers  have  scaled  the  volcano  since  the  ascent  of  Reiss  in  1872,  and  Whymper  spent  an  entire 
night  on  the  very  verge  of  the  crater  for  the  purpose  of  observing  the  physiological  effects  of  the 


From  ttereo  copyH^  ht  hy] 


l^Undei'itood  tt-  Undervood 


MOUNT    COTOPAXI. 


Mount  Cotopaxi.  in   Ecuador,  is  one  of   the    most    dreaded  of    the    active    volcanoes  ot    South    America.     It   is  often    called   the 
"ideal    volcano"    because    of    its    perfect    shape.       It    has    on    several    occasions    devastated    the    surrounding    country. 


650 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


rarity  of  the  air  upon  the  human  system.  Occasionally  Cotopaxi  discharges  single  masses  of  rock 
to  an  immense  distance.  Colonel  Church  says  of  one  of  these  colossal  fragments  :  "I  noticed  a 
single  fragment  of  rock,  weighing  perhaps  forty  tons,  which  must  have  been  thrown  from  Cotopaxi, 
twenty  miles  distant.  On  a  subsequent  occasion  I  observed  that  certain  of  the  Andean  peaks  must 
have  magnetic  attraction  for  each  other,  for  riding  on  the  Quinto  Plateau,  I  watched  two  storms 
arise  simultaneously,  one  of  which  centred  round  the  dome  of  Chimborazo,  while  the  other,  fifty 
miles  distant,  crowned  the  summit  of  Cotopaxi.  Blacker  and  denser  grew  the  frowning  clouds, 
until  their  artillery  opened  fire,  and  echo  after  echo  pealed  along  the  line  of  the  Andes.  The  two 
angry  monarchs  had  challenged  each  other  to  a  duel.  Suddenly  through  the  highly-electrified 
atmosphere  Chimborazo  shot  a  hissing  bolt  straight  for  Cotopaxi,  which,  in  turn,  launched  one  at 


Photo  hy  pefmiision  0/] 

HOUSE    OF    THE    VIRGIN    OF    THE    SUN, 


[.St/-  CietnfniJS  Markham. 
IN    CUZCO.    SHOWING    TWELVE-ANGLED    STONES. 


The    '   Cyclopean"    character    of    the    Incan    masonry  is    well    depicted  in   this  photograph,  which    shows  how  the  stones  were 
fitted  one  into  the  other.     The  large  stone  near  the  middle  of   the  photograph   has  no  less  than   twelve  different  angles. 

Chimborazo.  Then  for  perhaps  twenty  minutes,  with  a  mighty  and  ceaseless  roar,  they  hurled  their 
well-aimed  lightnings  at  each  other  until  the  battle-clouds  dispersed,  and  peace  smiled  again  upon 
their  magnificent  loneliness." 

The  Incan  Rains  of  Peru,  Cuzco. — Scattered  over  the  western  slope  of  the  Peruvian  Andean  range 
are  the  architectural  remains  of  a  civilization  which  must  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
produced  by  the  aboriginal  American  race.  For  many  centuries  mankind  had  gradually  been 
advancing  in  this  area  to  the  condition  in  which  they  were  discovered  by  the  invading  Spaniards 
in  1534.  and  many  of  the  architectural  remains  which  still  exist  in  Peru  are  of  an  antiquity  far 
greater  than  the  foundation  of  the  Incan  dynasty  which  flourished  at  the  coming  of  Pizarro.  Ruined 
edifices,  built  of  gigantic  blocks  of  stone,  and  often  described  as  "  Cyclopean,"  must  undoubtedly 
be  referred  to  a  period  in  Peruvian  development  of  which  we  have  not  even  any  legendary  knowledge. 


652 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


-i.'ift.         — 


Photo  by  pfftnission  of] 


l.sir  Clements  Afarlham. 


FORTRESS.    CUZCO. 


Another  of   the  enormous  corner-stones   which   formed  an   outwork   or   bartizan    of    the  ancient    fortress  of   Cuzco. 

These  are  met  with  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  country,  and  are  known  as  the  remains 
of  the  megahthic  period. 

Legends  relate  that  when  the  founders  of  Peruvian  civilization  left  the  island  of  Titicaca,  the 
Sun-god  delivered  into  their  keeping  a  golden  branch  which  would  take  root  in  the  earth  at  the 
spot  where  they  were  destined  to  dwell  and  found  a  centre  of  enlightenment  for  the  human  race. 
This  marvel  occurred  at  Cuzco,  afterwards  the  capital  of  the  Incan  dominions.  Situated  at  an 
altitude  of  over  eleven  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  the  ancient  city  rose  imposingly 
upon  a  series  of  artificial  terraces,  constructed  of  immense  masses  of  earth  held  together  by  Cyclopean 
walls,  built  of  extremely  hard  rocks  of  great  size  carried  by  main  force  from  the  quarries  of 
Anduhaylillas,  twenty-two  miles  distant.  The  Peruvians  possessed  no  draught  animals,  and  the 
blocks  must  have  been  dragged  from  the  quarry  to  the  plateau  of  Cuzco  by  gangs  of  labourers. 
Authorities  are  agreed  that  all  modern  masonry  is  inferior  when  compared  with  that  seen  in  the 
edifices  of  Cuzco.  The  great  blocks  were  first  carefully  squared  and  then  joined  together  by  means 
of  a  mortise  about  one  foot  deep  by  one  and  a-half  in  diameter  into  which  a  tenon  of  nearly  the  same 
size,  hewn  out  of  the  upper  block,  fitted  securely.  The  walls  required  no  mortar  to  keep  them 
together,  for  their  weight  was  so  great  that  specific  gravity  took  the  place  of  cement. 

Over  all  towered  the  mighty  Sacsahuaman,  or  fortress,  built  on  an  airy  rock  which  cleaves  the 
meeting  rivers  of  Huatenay  and  Rodadero.  From  the  town  side  one  might  not  ascend  it,  and  the 
sole  mode  of  access  was  a  little  path  cut  in  the  living  rock  which  overhangs  the  banks  of  the  Rodadero. 
The  total  length  of  the  walls  which  enclose  it  is  one  thousand  eight  hundred  feet,  disposed  in  three 
great  circles,  and  its  bastions  and  angles  of  projection  and  re-entrance  resemble  those  of  a  modern 
fortress.  It  was  absolutely  impregnable  to  a  force  not  provided  with  artillery,  and  the  early 
Spaniards  implicitly  believed  that  the  Peruvians  had  been  assisted  in  its  construction  by  the  Father 
of  Evil. 

Three  entrances  gave  access  to  the  outer  enclosure,  and  immense  blocks  of  stone  were  held  ever 
ready  to  close  these  up  at  the  first  hint  of  danger.     In  a  round  tower  in  the  centre  of  the  citadel 


Central   and   South  America 


653 


were  placed  the  treasures  of  the  Incas,  and  it  was  from  this  that  the  last  descendant  of  that  ill- 
fated  line  hurled  himself  upon  the  failure  of  the  last  native  insurrection  against  the  cavaliers  of 
Spain,  in  which  Juan  Pizarro  lost  his  life.  The  hill  near  this  gigantic  fortress,  the  interior  works  of 
which  are  now  a  heap  of  ruins,  is  covered  with  richly-carved  blocks  of  granite  which  evidently  served 
the  purpose  of  seats,  and  long  galleries  ornamented  with  descending  terraces  and  broken  by 
sculptured  niches  run  round  its  slopes. 

The  Temple  of  the  Sun,  now  converted  into  a  Dominican  convent,  was  situated  on  a  hill  eighty 
feet  above  the  river  Huatenay,  and  was  reached  by  a  series  of  enchanting  garden-terraces,  filled 
with  the  most  marvellous  designs  wrought  in  solid  silver  and  gold.  The  very  garden  implements — • 
hoes,  spades  and  mattocks — were  of  solid  silver.  These  facts  are  vouched  for  by  numerous  eye- 
witnesses, among  them  Pedro  Pizarro  himself,  and  subsequent  historians  have  seen  no  reason  to 
regard  their  descriptions  as  in  any  way  untrustworthy.  Model?  of  animals  and  insects  of  gold 
and  silver  adorned  the  spacious 
grounds,  and  such  was  the  splen- 
dour of  the  surroundings  that  the 
entire  quarter  was  known  as  Cori- 
cancha,  or  the  City  of  Gold.  The 
temple  occupies  one  side  of  a 
vast  court,  called  Intipampa,  or 
Field  of  the  Sun.  The  inner 
and  outer  walls,  it  is  said,  were 
covered  with  sheets  of  gold,  and 
as  evidence  of  this  the  celebrated 
Peruvian  archaeologist  Squier  states 
that  he  himself  saw  in  various 
houses  in  Cuzco  sheets  of  gold 
which  had  been  stripped  from  the 
gleaming  walls  of  the  Temple  of 
the  Sun.  These,  he  says,  were  of 
the  thickness  of  paper. 

The  exterior  of  this  famous 
temple  gave  an  impression  of 
massiveness  rather  than  of  grace, 
and  the  immense  pylons  or  mono- 
liths which  supported  the  door- 
way remind  one  somewhat  of  the 
Egyptian  type  of  masonry.  The 
interior  was  profusely  ornamented 
with  plates  of  gold,  and  in  a 
suitably  exalted  position  was 
placed  a  huge  plaque  of  the 
same  precious  metal  upon  which 
was  depicted  the  features  of  the 
deity  to  whom  the  fane  was 
dedicated.  This  was  so  placed 
that  the  beams  of  the  rising 
sun  fell  upon  it  and  bathed  it 
in  a  flood  of  radiant  hght.  The 
scintillation    of    the    hundreds    of 


Photo  hy  jt*>nmx.<ion  fiQ 


[Sir  Clements  Markham. 
FORTRESS.    CUZCO. 
One  of    the    mighty    corner-stones  of   the   Fortress  at  Cuzco 
wonder    to    antiquarians    how    the    Ancient    Peruvians 


enormous    masses    of    stone    to    such 
principles  of  modern  engineering. 


ght. 


It   is    a  standing 

ere    able    to    raise    such 

ignorant    as    they    were    of    the 


654 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


precious  stones  with  which  its  surface  was  enriched  according  to  an  eye-witness,  made  its  brilliance 
almost  insupportable,  and  the  atmosphere  of  mysterious  splendour  was  heightened  by  the  presence 
of  the  magnificently-attired  mummies  of  the  dead  Incas,  which  were  grouped  around  this  dazzUng 
object.     The  roof  was  made  from  choice  woods,  but  was  covered  only  by  a  thatching  of  maize 

straw. 

The  utensils  in  this  temple  were  all  of  the  most  precious  metals.  Twelve  large  vases  of  silver 
held  the  sacred  grain,  and  even  the  pipes  which  conducted  the  water-supply  through  the  earth 
were  of  silver.  The  splendid  altarpiece  representing  the  Sun-god  fell  as  booty  to  one  Mancio 
Serra  de  Leguicano,  a  reckless  gambler,  who  lost  it  on  a  single  throw  of  the  dice.  The  walls  of  the 
Aclahuasi,  or  House  of  the  Virgins  of  the  Sun,  are  still  standing  close  at  hand,  for  a  length  of  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  feet.     Here  the  daughters  of  the  Incas  were  subjected  for  many  years  to  a  rigorous 

discipline. 

Throughout  the  city  of  Cuzco  extend  long  reaches  of  walls  of  stone  cut  with  a  nicety  and  fitting 

together    with    a     preci- 
iHfllll  lllMy|ii|||  sion  unequalled  in  any  of 

■■■  .■■iiMUltr  the  ancient  structures   of 

Europe  or  Asia.  Many  of 
these  have  been  used  as 
quarries  from  which  to 
erect  more  modern  build- 
ings, but  a  large  number 
form  the  bases  upon  which 
later  dwellings  have  arisen, 
and  it  is  no  uncommon 
thing  to  see  a  mansion,  the 
lower  courses  of  which  are 
composed  of  the  original 
Incan  stone  walls  on  which 
has  been  superimposed 
the  rubble  walls  faced  with 
stucco  of  the  modern  Peru- 
vian abode.  The  centre 
of  the  aboriginal  city  was 
the  Huacapata,  or  great 
square,  now  occupied  in 
part  by  the  modern 
plaza,  from  which  most 
of  the  princips.1  streets 
radiated.  Cuzco,  like 
Rome,  was  built  in  a  series 
of  hills,  so  that  the  early  architects  were  obliged  to  level  the  declivities  and  to  form  terraces  upon 
which  their  buildings  might  rest.  These  terraces  were  confined  by  walls  of  the  "  Cyclopean  "  type, 
that  is,  built  of  stones  of  irregular  sizes,  but  all  fitting  into  one  another  with  the  greatest  nicety. 
To  relieve  the  monotony  of  these  long  stretches  of  masonry  the  Peruvian  builders  introduced  niches 
at  regular  intervals,  not  unlike  the  Egyptian  pylon  doorway  in  shape — that  is,  narrower  at  the  top 
than  at  the  base.  The  precision  with  which  these  stones  are  fitted  is  beyond  all  praise.  Those 
which  bear  up  the  terrace  of  the  palace  of  Rocca  weigh,  many  of  them,  several  tons  each,  and  are 
as  hard  as  granite.  Yet  so  finely  are  they  fitted  that  it  is  said  a  penknife-blade  cannot  be  introduced 
between  them.     One  of  them,  the  famous  "  Stone  of  Twelve  Angles,"  is  met  on  each  of   its  dozen 


Photo  by  pfiT'mission  of] 
LOWER 


COURSES    OF    INCA    PALACE    IN 


{^fiir  CUinpiitif  Markham. 
CUZCO. 


This  photograph  beautifully  exemplifies  the  wonderful  masonry  of  the  Inca  builders 
of  Peru.  The  stones  shown  in  the  illustration  are  fitted  so  accurately  together  that  it 
is  impossible  to  insert  even  a  needle  between  them,  and  no  mortar  enters  into  the  com- 
position   of    the    wall. 


Photo  hy  permission  of'\  {.Sir  Clements  Alarkham. 

WALL    OF    AN    INCA    PALACE.    CUZCO. 
The    blocks    of    solid     masonry    to     the     riRht     of     the     picture     stand     out     in     sharp     contradistinction     to     the     somewhat 

flimsy -look  ins    Spanish    gallery    above. 


656 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


fill, 


ill 


J'/wto  bt/] 


[JV.  P.  Edicards. 


RECEPTACLES     FOR    THE     DEAD.     LIMA.     PERU. 


This  burial-place  of  the  Ancient   Peruvians  was  discovered  during   the  construction   of  a  railway  between   Ancon  and  Lima. 

sides  by  another  stone,  into  all  of  which  it  fits  exactly.  In  all  of  these  massive  walls  there  is 
absolutely  no  cement,  the  stones  holding  together  by  reason  of  the  marvellous  accuracy  with  which 
their  superficies  meet  one  another.  Some  authorities  give  it  as  their  opinion  that  the  Peruvian 
masonry  is  unequalled  on  the  face  of  the  globe  for  finish,  and  that  the  finest  needle  could  not  be 
introduced  between  the  stones  which  compose  some  of  the  walls  of  Cuzco. 

The  general  design  of  the  ancient  Peruvian  building  was  that  of  a  block  built  round  a  court, 
upon  which  most  of  the  apartments  opened.  Many  of  these  were  large,  and  a  native  historian 
describes  some,  of  which  the  remains  exist  to  bear  out  his  statements,  as  being  capable  of  containing 
sixty  horsemen  with  room  enough  to  exercise  with  their  lances.  The  Huacapata,  or  great  square, 
was  surrounded  on  three  sides  by  great  public  buildings  for  the  shelter  of  the  inhabitants  in  bad 
weather,  each  of  which  was  capable  of  containing  several  thousand  people. 

The  Aclahuasi,  or  Convent  of  the  Virgins  of  the  Sun,  still  exists  in  the  convent  of  Santa 
CataUna.  In  this  edifice  dwelt  those  maidens  who  were  set  apart  for  the  service  of  the  Sun  God, 
and  from  whose  ranks  the  brides  of  the  Incas  were  taken.  If  any  of  these  maidens  were  detected 
in  a  love-affair,  death  instantly  followed,  and  the  youth  who  had  rashly  disturbed  the  sanctity  of  the 
convent  was  also  doomed  to  the  dreadful  death  of  being  cast  from  the  beetUng  crags  of  the  "  Gate 
of  Death,"  described  in  the  article  on  Ollantay-Tampu.  Nor  did  priestly  vengeance  cease 
here,  for  the  very  village  whence  the  Lothario  originated  was  levelled  with  the  ground  as  being 
a  nest  whence  similar  vipers  might  emanate.  This  conventual  establishment  is  now  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  long  by  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  feet  high,  and  its  masonic  and  architectural 
finish  closely  resembles  that  of  the  Temple  of  the  Sun.  The  existing  walls  show  no  entrance  or 
opening. 

A  very  fine  remnant  of  Inca  architecture  is  the  wall  looking  on  to  the  square  called  Pampa 
Maroni.  It  has  been  pierced  here  and  there  by  modern  doorways  in  its  length  of  three  hundred 
and  eighty  feet,  and  its  joints  are  so  smooth  that  if  the  faces  of  the  stones  were  dressed  down  fiat 
they  could  hardly  be  seen  at  all.      In  the  street  of  San  Agustin  a  portion  of  this  wall  runs  for  a 


Central   and    South   America 


657 


length  of  eight  hundred  feet,  but  it  is  broken  at  intervals  by  modern  structures.  It  formed  the 
north-east  side  of  the  palaces  of  the  Yupanqui  Incas. 

Near  the  remains  of  the  palace  of  the  Inca  Rocca  were  the  Yachahuasi,  or  schools,  founded  by 
that  ruler.  They  were  plain,  unadorned  seminaries,  and  led  down  to  the  terraces  of  the  little  river 
Rodadero.  Here  the  amantes,  or  wise  men,  taught  the  infant  mind  how  to  read  the  language  of 
quipus,  or  knotted  cords,  the  tales  of  gods  and  heroes,  music  and  native  engineering  and  astrology. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Cuzco,  and  especially  in  that  of  the  Rodadero  Hill,  an  eminence  more  than  half 
a  mile  in  circumference,  and  at  least  eighty  feet  high,  several  notable  terraces  exist.  Here  is  to 
be  seen  the  immense  Piedra  Causada,  or  Tired  Stone,  of  which  the  native  historian,  Garcilasso, 
speaks  as  having  required  twenty  thousand  men  to  move  it,  and  which,  rolling  over,  killed  three 
hundred  workmen.  This  statement  is  of  a  piece  with  much  else  in  the  chronicler's  rather  mendacious 
"  history."  The  stone  weighs  probably  over  a  thousand  tons,  and  was  certainly  never  moved 
by  human  power.  Its  upper  surface  is  cut  into  seats,  water  reservoirs,  niches  and  staircases,  the 
object  of  elaborating  which  will  always  remain  a  mystery.  The  Rodadero  Hill  itself  was  shored  up 
into  terraces,  and  its  grooved  centre,  or  sunk  pathway,  was  a  favourite  resort  of  the  Incan  youth, 
who  chased  each  other  through  the  depression  on  high  days  and  holidays.  Most  of  the  stones  which 
faced  this  eminence  have,  however,  been  carried  to  the  town  for  modern  building  purposes.  But 
on  the  summit  of  this  hill  are  a  number  of  broad  stone  seats  cut  into  the  rock,  and  rising  one  above 
the  other  with  the  precision  of  the  benches  in  a  Roman  amphitheatre.  These  are  known  as  the 
Seat  of  the  Inca,  and  tradition  recounts  that  the  three  Incas  in  whose  reigns  the  mighty  fortress 
of  Sacsalmaman  was  constructed  came  to  these  thrones  carved  in  the  rocky  hillside  and  from  that 


THE    FALLS    OF    IGUAZU. 
As  the  traveller  in   Brazil  emerEes  from  the  depths  of  a  vast  forest  he  is  presented  with   the  spectacle  of  these  magnificent  falls. 

43 


658 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


point  of  vantage  were  enabled  to  watch  and  superintend  the  construction  of  the  great  work  of 
fortification  which  was  gradually  rising  up  on  the  mountain-side  beyond. 

The  rocks  all  over  the  plateau  which  stretches  beyond  the  fortress  of  Sacsalmaman  are  carved 
into  a  myriad  shapes.  Seats  and  couches — veritable  divans  some  of  these — in  stone,  niches,  flights 
of  steps,  basins  for  catching  rain-water,  cut  with  the  precision  and  accuracy  of  a  sculptor,  abound. 
It  would  seem  as  if  these  Cyclopean  masons,  their  vigour  unabated  upon  the  completion  of  the  great 
mountain  citadel,  had  rioted  in  their  art,  and  had  revelled  in  the  execution  of  countless  tasks  which 
might  have  appalled  an  army  of  skilled  European  artificers  equipped  with  the  best  and  most  modern 
tools.     There  are  traces  of  many  small  shrines  on  this  expanse,  which  probably  served  as  oracles. 

Receptacles  for  the  Dead  at  Lima. — Whilst  progressing  with  construction  of  a  railway  at 
Ancon,  Peru,  to  fink  that  town  with  Lima,  the  capital,  a  cutting  in  the  dunes  revealed  an  ancient 
burial-place  of  great  extent  and  interest,  from  which  were  obtained  an  enormous  number  of  objects 


THE     FALLS    OF    IGUAZU. 
The    Alto    Parana    Falls,    which    are    situated    ahovc    those    of    Iguazu. 

which  have  thrown  much  light  upon  the  antiquities  of  the  country  and  the  habits  of  life  of  the 
ancient  Peruvians.  They  include  examples  of  the  textile  arts,  pottery,  utensils,  implements  and 
arms,  and  had  all  been  deposited  with  the  dead.  Owing  to  the  dry  nature  of  the  climate  they  were 
recovered  in  excellent  condition.  With  them  were  found  many  mummified  bodies  wrapped  in 
sackcloth,  one  bundle  containing  in  several  instances  more  than  one  body,  and  even  a  whole  family, 
a  rough  presentment  of  a  human  head  surmounting  the  package,  which  was  generally  squeezed  into 
something  resembling  the  human  form.  Within  these  wraps  were  discovered  the  various  imple- 
ments which  were  placed  with  the  dead  for  the  purpose  of  proving  useful  to  them  in  their  future 
lives.  ■  - 

Falls  of  the  Iguazu, — The  famous  Falls  of  the  Iguazu,  partly  in  Brazilian  and  partly  in 
Argentine  territory,  are  almost  equal  in  awe-inspiring  magnificence  to  the  Falls  of  Niagara  and 
Victoria  Nyanza,  and  are  caused  by  the  rapid  descent  of  the  River  Iguazu,  an  affluent  of  the  Parana, 
into  a  gulf  some  four  hundred  feet  deep.  This  is  known  as  the  Victoria  Falls.  Above  this  point 
the  Parana  sweeps  onwards  with  terrible  rapidity,  and  forms  several  cascades  of  from  thirty  to  forty 


FALLS    OF    IGUAZU. 
Only  about  a  score  of   Europeans  have  seen  these  wonderful  falls,  which  are  situated  partly  in   Brazil,  and  partly  in   Argentina. 
It  is  difficult   to  obtain  their  exact  dimensions,   but  it  is  probable  that     they  are    next    in    magnitude    to    the    Niagara    and    Victoria 
Nyanza  falls. 


66o 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


feet  high,  known  as  the  "  Seven  Falls." 
This,  however,  is  scarcely  a  precise 
enumeration,  as  a  number  of  smaller 
cascades  occur  from  point  to  point  ere 
the  Falls  of  Iguazu  are  reached.  Count- 
less currents  form  miniature  maelstroms 
at  the  foot  of  these  stupendous  rapids, 
and  from  the  descent  of  this  enormous 
mass  of  water  arises  a  constant  haze  of 
spray.  In  the  torrent  beneath  great 
tree-trunks  spin  and  whirl  like  straws 
in  a  gutter,  while  above  the  river  flows 
-^o  rapidly  that  it  is  extremely  difficult 
lor  craft  of  any  size  to  make  headway 
against  it.  The  incessant  thunder  of 
the  falls  can  be  heard  at  a  distance  of 
at  least  two  miles.  A  body  of  water 
of  almost  a  thousand  cubic  feet  per 
second  is  precipitated  adown  the  rocky 
gorge  of  the  Iguazu,  and  the  sublime 
spectacle  presented  by  its  descent  can 
hardly  be  equalled  by  that  of  Niagara 
itself.  Indeed,  some  authorities  place 
Iguazu  before  Niagara.  But  very  little 
is  known  concerning  these  vast  water 
falls,  and  only  some  twenty  odd 
Europeans  have  ever  set  eyes  upon 
them.  Issuing  from  the  depths  of 
the  primeval  forest,  the  traveller  is 
suddenly  stunned  by  the  sight  of  the 
vast  panorama  of  boiling  and  tumbhng 
waters  which  presents  itself  to  his  gaze.  He  emerges  from  the  forest  upon  an  open  grassy  space, 
overlooking  a  great  rocky  channel  cleft  in  twain  by  the  mighty  descent  of  multitudinous  waters. 
Above  this  direct  fall  is  a  long,  gentle  curve  of  foaming  white  waters,  known  as  the  Argentine  Horse- 
shoe. As  showing  the  vast  compression  of  the  water  that  finds  its  way  down  the  cataract,  the 
river  above  has  a  breadth  of  three  thousand  feet,  and  the  gorge  into  which  it  falls  is  but  four  hundred 
feet  in  width.  The  Falls  of  Iguazu  are  of  most  unusual  shape  when  compared  with  similar  cataracts. 
There  is  first  the  great  Argentine  Horseshoe  Fall,  a  double  fall  of  some  one  hundred  and  eighty-nine 
feet.  The  Brazilian  Fall  is  estimated  by  some  at  two  hundred  and  ten  feet,  though  this  is  almost 
certainly  an  exaggeration.  The  lightness  and  airy  elegance  of  the  falls  is  said  to  distinguish  them 
from  all  other  similar  bodies  of  water  in  the  world.  The  "  loop  "  on  the  BraziUan  side  is  locally 
known  as  "  Boca  del  Diablo  "  or  "  Mouth  of  the  Devil,"  from  which  rises  up  eternally  a  pillar  of 
white  spray  which  is  visible  for  a  considerable  distance. 

The  Piedra  Parade  in  the  Rio  Alia  Chabat.—This  huge  block  of  granite,  situated  near  the  River 
Chubut,  in  the  Argentine  RepubUc,  well  exemplifies  the  tectonic  and  glacial  origin  of  the  surrounding 
country.  It  has  undoubtedly  been  carried  to  its  present  position  some  hundreds  of  yards  from 
the  hills  which  encircle  it  by  the  action  of  a  glacial  moraine,  which,  latterly  unable  to  move  the  mass 
it  carried  down  from  the  slopes  above,  flowed  around  it,  and  thus  wore  away  the  under  sides,  giving 
it  the  appearance  of  a  huge  mushroom.     It  is  about  seventeen  feet  high  by  twenty  at  its  broadest 


THE     PIEDRA     PARADE. 

This  peculiar  frealt  of  glacial  action  is  situated  in  the  Argentine 
Republic,  and  has  been  carried  to  its  present  position  from  the  sur- 
rounding mountains  by  the  action  of  prehistoric  ice,  which  has  worn 
away    its    under   sides. 


Central   and   South   America 


66 1 


point.      It  is  called  the  "  Walking  Stone,"  probably  because  the  natives  believed  that  by  no  other 
agency  than  its  own  could  it  have  been  brought  to  the  spot  where  it  now  stands. 

The  Avenue  of  Palms  at  Rio.— The  famous  Avenue  of  Palm-trees  in  the  Botanical  Gardens 
at  Botafogo,  a  suburb  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  the  capital  of  Brazil,  lies  in  a  recess  of  the  mountains  at 
the  foot  of  Corcovado,  and  thus  is  screened  from  winds  in  all  directions — a  necessity  for  the  existence 
of  such  tall  trees  in  Rio,  where  the  winds  are  sometimes  very  boisterous.  The  avenue  is  fully  two 
hundred  feet  in  height,  and  is  so  symmetrical  that,  standing  a  few  yards  behind  the  end,  the  first 
tree  hides  the  entire  row  of  seventy  or  more  which  stand  behind  it.  This  wonderful  avenue  is 
without  doubt  unequalled  anywhere  in  the  world. 

This  magnificent  alley  extends  from  the  main  entrance  of  the  gardens  for  a  distance  of  nearly 
half  a  mile.  It  is  composed  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  palms  of  the  species  invariably  alluded  to  in 
Brazil  as  real,  or  royal,  all  of  which  are  of  uniform  height.  It  is  this  wonderful  uniformity, 
indeed,  which  makes  the  avenue  such  a  marvel  of  arboriculture.  It  is  crossed  at  right  angles  by 
what  is  known  as  the  "  Alley  of  Palms,"  which  extends  to  nearly  two  thousand  feet,  and  numbers 
one  hundred  and  forty-two  trees  of  an  average  height  of  seventy-five  feet.  The  tropical  brilliance 
of  the  surroundings  is  unsurpassed,  and  the  airy  play  of  numerous  fountains  and  jets  neutralizes 
greatly  the  dank  heat  engendered  by  the  proximity  of  such  a  mass  of  southern  vegetation.  Alas  ! 
that  this  magnificent  garden,  the  most 
remarkable  horticultural  enclosure  in  f         J 

the  world,  should  be  practically  neg- 
lected by  the  inhabitants  of  Rio,  who 
seem  to  prefer  the  crowded  thorough- 
fares of  the  city  and  the  amenities  of 
the  boulevard  and  the  cafe  to  this 
stately  pleasance,  to  enrich  which  the 
rarest  treasures  of  nature  have  been 
culled  from  all  lands. 

TTie  **  Inca  Bridge  "  in  the  Andes. 
— The  Rumichaca  arch,  still  popularly 
known  as  the  "  Inca's  Bridge,"  al- 
though the  Incas  had  no  hand  in  its 
construction,  is  a  natural  curiosity 
which  spans  the  rushing  torrent  of 
the  River  Carchi,  the  name  given 
to  the  upper  course  of  the  River 
Guaitara,  which  flows  from  the  Pasto 
volcano  in  Colombia,  and  forms  for 
some  distance  the  political  frontier 
between  Colombia  and  Ecuador. 

There  is  a  similar  arch,  also  a 
freak  of  nature,  on  the  road  between 
Santiago  and  Mendoza,  in  Chili,  and, 
curiously  enough,  it  is  also  known  as 
the  "  Inca  Bridge."  The  road  on 
which    it    occurs    was     probably     a 

colonial  way  made  by  the    Peruvian         From  .stereo  mpynqM  by-\  [//.  c.  wiaie  co. 

Incas,    who    took    advantage    of    the  the   avenue  of   palms,   rio   de   Janeiro. 

phenomenon    by    leading    their    road      ,     T''"  "'°"'^"'"'  /"""=  °'  ","'■"  '""•  '^^'"^  T"  °"'"  ^°?  '"'  '" 

height,    is    unrivalled  in   the  world,  and  is  perhaps    the    most    notable    signt 
over  this  natural  viaduct.  in   the   Brazilian   Republic. 


662 


The   Wonders   of   the  World 


_^^^^  ^  ^_^^^^^^-^^_-_  -   _         ^■^Kr-*.^  '^^^    name   "  Chaca  "    sig- 

^^Qr    I  B^^^^Awii^Hlv't  I         ^H^Hfll     niaes  "  bridge ''  in  the  Ouichua 

r^lKll'    H  H^^^^BLi^^r  vM^^I^^^H     contiguous  volcano  of  Cumbal 

flows  the  Rio  Blanco,  which 
traverses  a  series  of  trachytic 
rocks,  of  which  the  Rumi- 
chaca  is  part.  The  Bridge 
passes  over  the  road  between 
Ipiales,  in  Colombia,  to  Tul- 
can,  in  Ecuador,  and  has  been 
for  generations  connected  with 
the  name  of  the  Peruvian 
Incas  by  the  people  of  the 
district.  Underneath  it  the 
river  flows  swiftly  at  a  depth 
of  about  ninety  feet.  The 
trachytic  rock  of  which  the 
Bridge  is  composed  is  a 
mixture  of  calcareous  sedi- 
ment and  volcanic  debris, 
the  first-mentioned  ingredient 
forming  a  very  hard  cement. 
Near  the  Bridge  has  been 
discovered  an  entire  house 
built  from  blocks  of  this  calca- 
reous cement  dried  in  the  sun, 
but  its  history  is  unknown. 
In  the  neighbourhood  is  found  the  celebrated  "  Ucamancha,"  a  white  carbonate,  much  in  demand 
for  use  in  setting  fractured  bones. 

Mount  Misti. — Mount  Misti  is  by  far  the  best  known  and  most  conspicuous  summit  of  the 
Western  Cordillera  of  Peru.  There  is  great  discrepancy  in  the  various  estimates  of  its  altitude, 
which  range  between  seventeen  thousand  nine  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty 
feet.  This  soaring  peak  directly  overshadows  the  town  of  Arequipa,  a  centre  notable  for  the  frequency 
and  severity  of  its  earthquakes,  which  in  1600  and  1868  nearly  levelled  it  with  the  ground.  The 
native  designation  of  Mount  Misti  is  Sucahuaya.  The  situation  of  such  a  famous  volcano  directly 
above  one  of  the  most  thriving  commercial  centres  in  Peru  is  even  more  anomalous  than  the  presence 
of  Vesuvius  near  a  modern  European  city  Hke  Naples.  From  time  immemorial  the  crater  of  this 
famous  earthquake-maker  has  been  a  veritable  cauldron  of  unrest  for  the  unfortunate  city  which 
lies  beneath  its  snow-topped  mass.  Misti  has  been  ascended  on  several  occasions,  notably  by 
Weddell,  who  first  climbed  it  in  1847,  and  by  Ryder  and  Bothwell,  who  unfortunately  lost  their 
Hves  in  one  of  its  frightful  crevasses. 

The  Misti  is  flanked  by  the  peak  of  Pichu-pichu  on  the  east,  and  that  of  Chacchani  on  the  north, 
but  its  white-crested  cone  dominates  the  landscape.  A  weird  legend  hangs  about  its  virgin 
whiteness.  In  the  long  ago,  when  the  red  breath  from  its  bowels  devastated  the  surrounding 
country  and  made  life  well-nigh  impossible  for  the  trembling  peasants  who  dwelt  beneath  its 
shadow,  the  Children  of  the  Sun  besought  their  celestial  Father  to  slay  the  monster  who  dwelt 
within,  and  whose  wrath  found  such  terrible  expression.  The  Sun,  the  benevolent  deity, 
exasperated  at  the  wickedness  of  the  evil  genius  who  made  the  volcano  his  home,  drowned  him  in 


From  Stereo  copyright  6j/]  [//.  C.  White  Co. 

THE  AVENUE  OF  PALMS.  RIO  DE  JANEIRO. 

The  avenue  is  composed  of   150  splendid  specinnens  of   the  "Royal"  palms. 


From  .Stereo  copyright  &j/]  \_Uiidericood  A  Under uiood. 

THE    INCA    BRIDGE.    ARGENTINA. 
The     Rio    Mendoza    flows    beneath     this    wonderful    structure,    which    is    the    work    of     Nature,    not,    as    was    popularly 

supposed,    of    the    Incas. 


664 


The   Wonders   of   the  World 


the  depths  of  his  own  lava,  and 
sealed  up  the  crater  of  Misti  with 
snow  more  impenetrable  than 
adamant,  so  that  the  dead  Titan 
might  never  more  be  brought 
to  life  by  any  other  evil  agency. 
Another  legend  says  that  St. 
Thomas,  often  associated  with  the 
traditional  pre-Columbian  dis- 
covery of  America,  was  preach- 
ing in  the  neighbourhood,  and 
became  so  irritated  at  the  de- 
structive tendency  of  the  volcano, 
that  he  cast  his  sandal  into  its 
depths,  thus  rendering  it  in- 
capable of  further  mischief. 
Pizarro,  the  conqueror  of  Peru, 
found  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Misti  so  healthy,  that  none  of  his 
troops  died  during  the  ten  months 
they  were  stationed  there,  and 
this  fact  weighed  heavily  with 
the  colonial  Spaniards  in  the 
selection  and  settlement  of  the 
site  of  the  city  of  Arequipa. 

The  Indian  Village  of  Mara- 
caibo. — The  Indian  village  of 
Maracaibo,  situated  at  the  mouth 
of  the  lagoon  of  the  same  name, 
affords  in  one  of  its  vicinities  the 
prospect  of  native  dwelhngs  built 
upon  piles.  The  community  which  preserves  this  archaic  style  of  dwelling  is  called  Santa  Rosa, 
and  is  built  on  the  plan  which  prompted  the  early  discoverers  of  the  country  to  denominate  it 
Venezuela  (or  Little  Venice).  When  Vespucci  and  Hojeda  discovered  it  in  1499,  they  observed 
this  aquatic  community,  and  the  waterways  between  the  houses,  with  the  canoes  tied  to  the  posts, 
so  strongly  reminded  them  of  Venice,  that  they  at  once  decided  to  name  the  new  country  after  the 
picturesque  water-city  of  the  Adriatic.  Like  the  habitations  of  the  prehistoric  lake-dwellers  of 
Switzerland  or  the  huts  of  certain  tribes  of  Borneo,  the  houses  of  the  Goajiros  Indians  who  live  in 
Santa  Rosa  are  built  upon  high  piles  driven  into  the  bed  of  the  lagoon.  This  custom  probably 
originated  through  the  fear  of  wild  beasts  or  the  visitations  of  hostile  tribes.  The  dwelhngs  are  raised 
some  fifteen  feet  above  the  level  of  the  lake,  and  are  merely  low  huts  roofed  with  sedge  or  grass  thatch, 
the  eaves  of  which  overlap  the  piles  on  which  the  hut  stands.  From  a  doorway  a  ladder  leads  down 
to  the  water,  and  communication  with  the  various  parts  of  the  village  is  made  by  canoe.  Larger 
and  more  ornate  huts  serve  as  churches  to  the  Indians,  who  for  the  most  part  live  by  the  chase 
of  waterfowl. 

Inca  Ruins,  Ollantay-Tampa. — The  great  Incan  fortress  of  Ollantay-Tampu,  situated  some  forty- 
five  miles  north  of  Cuzco,  was  built  to  defend  the  Valley  of  the  Yucay  from  the  inroads  of  the  ferocious 
Chinchos  Indians,  who  dwelt  in  the  impenetrable  forests  watered  by  the  Amazon  and  its  tributaries. 
The  immensity  of  the  walls,  which  are  built  for  the  most  part  of  red  porphyry  and  average  twenty-five 


Irotn  mereo  copyright  hy~\  [II.  C.  WIdte  Co. 

MOUNT     MISTI.    AREQUIPA. 

The  volcano  of  Misti  overlooks  the  city  of  Arequipa.  in  Peru,  much  as 
Vesuvius  overlooks  Naples,  and  has  on  several  occasions  reduced  it  to  ruins 
by  terrific  outbursts. 


Central  and   South  America 


665 


feet  in  height,  render  this  ancient  fortress  comparable  to  the  mightiest  structures  of  antiquity  in  the 
Old  World.  Squier  compared  Ollantay-Tampu  to  the  castles  of  the  Rhine.  The  comparison  holds 
good  only  inasmuch  as  the  Peruvian  fortress,  like  the  more  graceful  strongholds  of  Germany,  is 
perched  upon  a  dizzy  height,  which  on  one  side  overhangs  a  deep  and  rapid  river.  Stupendous 
walls  zig-zag  from  point  to  point,  from  angle  to  angle,  of  a  huge  cliff,  and  seem  more  like  the  work 
of  some  modern  master  of  the  art  of  fortification  than  the  cyclopean  labour  of  the  countless  throngs 
of  dark-skinned  toilers  who  reared  it  long  ago  at  the  behest  of  their  celestial  ruler,  the  Inca.  The 
fortress  proper  is  a  long,  low  building  of  two  stories  in  height,  loopholed  and  turreted.  Above  this 
tower  the  walls  of  another  fortress,  or  rather  outwork,  and  at  points  above,  below,  at  every  possible 
elevation,  are  placed  round  towers  of  stone  of  varying  sizes,  all  of  which  are  provided  with  many 
portholes,  so  that  a  heavy  flight  of  arrows  might  be  brought  to  bear  upon  an  approaching  enemy. 
This  salient  outwork  embraces  a  series  of  terraces,  which,  because  of  their  peculiar  and  gigantic 
structure,  are  world-famous.  The  road  to  these  leads  through  an  ancient  gateway  grooved  for  a 
portcullis.  The  terraces  are  ascended  on  one  side  by  steps,  and  on  the  other  by  an  inclined  plane 
over  half  a  mile  in  length,  over  which  the  gigantic  stones  of  which  the  fortress  is  composed  were 
dragged  by  sweating  bands  of  con- 
quered provincials.  Many  of  the 
immense  stones  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  fortress  still  remain 
upon  this  road,  abandoned,  perhaps, 
by  reason  of  flaws  or  other  unfitness. 
This  plane  is  guarded  at  intervals 
by  square  stone  buildings,  like  block- 
houses, and  is  supported  by  an  em- 
bankment of  stone  inclining  inwards, 
and  more  than  sixty  feet  high. 

The  first  line  of  defence  climbs 
the  mountain-side,  zig-zagging  from 
point  to  point,  until  it  meets  a 
precipice  with  a  sheer  fall  of  a 
thousand  feet.  This  wall,  about 
twenty-five  feet  in  height,  is  built 
of  unfaced  stone,  cemented  on  each 
side,  and  provided  with  an  inner 
shelf,  upon  which  the  defenders 
might  stand.  Within  this  wall  is  a 
concretion  of  huddled  buildings. 
doorways,  isolated  blocks  of  por- 
phyry, terraces  of  vast  design,  and 
several  fine  stairways,  the  stone  for 
all  of  which  was  quarried  some 
seven  miles  away,  in  a  spot  up- 
wards of  three  thousand  feet  above 
the  valley,  and  dragged  up  the  steep 
slopes  of  OUantay  by  sheer  human 
force.  A  number  of  the  stones 
which  lie  scattered  about  are  hewn 
into  shape  and  ready  to  be  fitted, 
and  many  are  morticed  and  clamped 


fhotu  bs\ 


[//.  V.  While  Co. 


INDIAN     VILLAGE.     MARACAIBO. 


It  was  from  the  pile-built  abodes  o(  this  community  of  lake-dwellers  that 
the  discoverers  of  Venezuela  received  the  sugeestion  for  the  name  of  the  new 
colony,  which  signifies  "  Little  Venice."  Lacustrine  dwellines  are  now  excep- 
tionally rare,  the  only  other  known  instances  of  their  occurrence  being  in  some 
of   the  lesser-known  parts  of   Borneo. 


666 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


to  pennit  them  to  be  joined  to  others.  Some  of  these  blocks  approach  twenty  feet  in  length,  by 
five  feet  broad  and  four  feet  deep,  and  are  perfectly  squared  and  admirably  pohshed,  and  the  joints 
where  they  meet  one  another  are  scarcely  perceptible.  Six  of  these  mighty  blocks,  which  seem  as 
if  quarried  by  Titans,  support  a  terrace,  placed  at  an  inclination  against  it.  The  faces  of.  these  are 
imperfectly  poUshed,  and  some  are  not  even  properly  hewn,  showing  that  the  work  of  facing  them 
was  never  completed,  and  probably  hurriedly  abandoned.  But  the  greatest  of  the  monolithic 
marvels  which  Ollantay  has  to  show  are  the  "  Tired  Stones,"  enormous  blocks  lying  on  the  inclined 
plane  leading  to  the  fortress,  as  if  abandoned  by  the  masons,  who  found  it  impossible  to  drag  such 
monstrous  burdens  up  the  face  of  the  hill.     One  of  them  is  twenty-one  feet  five  inches  long,  by  fifteen 


Fhoto  by  permission  of]  [.Si;'  Clements  Maj-kham. 

OLLANTAY-TAMPU. 

This  illustration  gives  a  good  idea  of  the  massive  blocks  which  were  employed  in  the  construction  of   the  fortress  of  Ollantay- 

Tampu.     The  stones  were  fitted  with  great   nicety,  and  were  held  together  by   their  own  \veight. 

feet  broad,  and  is  partially  embedded  in  the  soil,  into  which  it  must  have  sunk  by  reason  of  its  own 
weight. 

The  picturesque  splendour  of  the  view  from  the  heights  of  Ollantay  is  unsurpassed.  Terrace 
on  terrace  slopes  down  to  the  brawling  torrent  beneath,  each  a  garden  in  itself,  and  level  as  champaign 
country.  Opposing  the  dechvity  on  which  the  fortress  is  built,  the  bare,  bleak  mountains  rise  in 
solemn  majesty,  swelling  with  their  snow-fed  rivulets  the  turbulent  stream  beneath.  Looking  down 
the  valley,  the  view  of  green  terraces  is  barred  by  the  snow-capped  immensity  of  Mount  Chicon, 
and  in  the  near  distance  the  mountain  of  Pinculluna,  or  "  Hill  of  Flutes,"  a  sheer  mass  of  broken 
rock,  several  thousand  feet  in  height,  stands  black  against  the  sky.  To  its  sides  adhere  several 
buildings,  some  of  which  appear  almost  inaccessible.  Of  these,  perhaps  the  most  remarkable  is  the 
"  School  of  the  Virgins,"  a  nunnery  where  the  Peruvian  maidens  set  apart  for  sacred  offices  dwelt 
in  seclusion.     It  consists  of  five  long  buildings,  rising  one  above  the  other,  each  upon  a  separate 


-I 


a    3 


a- 
c   «• 

O     3- 


9  i 


o 
r 
r 
> 
z 

H 
> 

•H 
> 

2 
-0 
C 


668 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


4v 


terrace.  On  a  ledge  with  a  sheer 
drop  of  nearly  a  thousand  feet, 
stands  the  Horca  del  Hombre,  a 
small  building,  the  doorway  of  which 
looks  down  upon  the  dizzy  abyss 
beneath.  From  this  grim  portal 
male  criminals  were  hurled  in  ex- 
piation of  their  misdeeds.  A  ledge 
higher  up  holds  the  prison  buildings, 
where  the  unfortunate  malefactors 
awaited  their  doom.  A  chasm  in 
the  mountain-side  separates  these 
structures  from  the  Horca  de  Mujir, 
from  which  female  criminals  were 
cast,  and  where  those  virgins  of  the 
sun  who  had  proved  false  to  their 
vows  were  hurled  upon  the  rocks  a 
thousand  feet  below. 

In  Ollantay-Tampu  itself  the 
Manay-Racay,  or  "  Court  of  Peti- 
tions," remains  in  almost  perfect 
condition,  as  is  another  Inca  build- 
ing, two  stories  in  height.  It  is 
built  of  large  stones  laid  in  cement, 
and  was  originally  stuccoed  both 
inside  and  out.  A  central  wall  runs 
from  gable  to  gable,  and  divides  it 
into  two  apartments  of  equal  dimen- 
sions. There  was  no  access  to  the 
upper  story  from  the  interior,  but 
one  of  the  gables  has  two  entrances 
to  it,  one  for  each  half  of  the  build- 
ing, to  which  ascent  was  made  prob- 
ably by  ladders. 

The  ancient  town  was'^laid  out  with  great  precision  and  regularity,  the  streets  running  parallel 
with  the  river,  and  averaging  about  fourteen  feet  in  width.  Each  block  was  surrounded  by  a  high 
wall,  and  two  central  and  three  smaller  courts  lent  space  to  the  interior,  but  only  one  doorway  gave 
access  to  the  whole. 

Tradition  has  it  that  in  Ollantay-Tampu  the  chieftain  Ollantay,  to  whom  the  Inca  had  refused  his 
daughter  Curi-Coyllur  ("  Joyful  Star"),  raised  the  standard  of  rebelhon,  and  held  out  against  the 
royal  power  for  ten  years.  Surprised  by  a  stratagem,  he  was  captured  and  taken  to  Cuzco,  the 
capital,  but  the  unfriendly  Inca  had  died,  and  his  successor,  touched  by  the  prisoner's  sad  story,  set 
him  at  liberty,  and  gave  him  Curi-Coyllur — who  during  this  period  had  been  confined  in  the  Convent 
of  the  Vestals — to  wife.  Such  is  the  story  as  related  in  the  great  Incan  drama  of  Ollantay,  the  most 
perfect  specimen  of  aboriginal  American  theatric  art  that  has  come  down  to  us. 

The  Andes  Mountains. — The  vast  range  of  the  Andes  Mountains  has  been  well  described  as 
"  the  backbone  of  the  South  American  Continent."  They  constitute  the  most  regular  mountain 
range  on  the  globe,  and  some  of  their  peaks  are  among  the  loftiest.  From  the  continent's  most 
southerly  point  to  Tacna,  in  Peru,  the  Andes  run  almost  due  north  and  south,  and  from  the  latter 


Photo  iifj  j>''rini.^sioii  of] 
DOORWAY     AT 
Th 


FOOT    OF    SLOPE 

illustration  depicts  one  of   these  double  doorways  wh 
of    tfie    later    Incan    arcfiitecture    of    Peru. 


[.StV-  Clements  Markham. 
OLLANTAY-TAMPU. 

h  are   typical 


Central   and   South  America 


669 


point  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  they  describe  a  vast  semi-circle.  But  for  their  entire  course  they 
adhere  closely  to  the  coast-line,  and  so  regular  is  their  march  with  it,  that  the  Spaniards  bestowed 
upon  the  range  the  name  "  Cordillera,"  or  "  rope,"  to  signify  the  regularity  with  which  it  has  been 
drawn  in  a  line  with  the  coast.  From  the  sea  this  great  barrier  has  the  appearance  of  a  vast  wall, 
surmounted  here  and  there  by  lofty  towers,  wherever  a  peak  of  unusual  height  looms  upwards  from 
among  the  surrounding  mountains.  This  wall-Uke  appearance  is  due  to  the  great  uniformity  of  the 
range,  which  averages  fourteen  thousand  feet.  So  uniform,  too,  is  the  geological  formation  of  the 
Andes,  that  specimens  of  its  rocks  brought  from  points  widely  distant  have  been  found  to  display 
the  same  features. 

Of  this  wonderfully  symmetrical  mountain  chain,  the  highest  peak  is  Aconcagua  (23,080  feet), 
unless  the  claims  of  Sorata,  in  Bolivia,  to  a  height  of  23,500  feet  be.  allowed.  Other  giants  of  the 
range  are  Illimani,  22,500  feet ;   Tupungato,  22,000  feet  and  Chimborazo,  20,498  feet. 

Beginning  at  the  northern  extremity  of  the  continent,  the  Colombian  Andes  spread  out  into 
three  distinct  ranges — the  Eastern,  Central  and  Western  Cordilleras.  Of  the  first-mentioned,  the 
Sierra  de  Summa  Paz,  or  "  Mountain  of  Highest  Peace  "  (14,146  feet),  is  the  most  remarkable,  owing 
its  denomination,  as  it  does,  to  the  serene  splendour  of  its  aspect  and  surroundings.  The  Central 
Colombian  Cordillera  is  volcanic  in  character,  and  one  of  its  eminences,  Pasto  (14,000  feet),  discharges 
from  its  enormous  crater  a  copious  stream  impregnated  with  sulphuric  acid.  Another  volcanic 
peak  of  this  chain  is  Purace  (16,000  feet),  from  the  sides  of  which  the  Rio  Pasambria,  or  "  Vinegar 
River,"  a  stream  highly  charged  with  sulphuric  and  other  acids,  falls  into  a  gorge  two  hundred  and 


Photo  by  permission  o/] 


ISif  Clements  Markham. 
IMMENSE    CORNERSTONE.    OLLANTAY-TAMPU. 
AnotKer    of    the    immense    corner-stonM    of    the    great    Incan    fortre..  of  Ollantay-T.mpu.     Note  the    turrets    behind,    which 
are  said  to  give   the  fortress  a  resemblance   to  the  picturesque  castles  of   the   Rhine. 


From  Stereo  coppfijht  by} 


[finder-wood  ^'  Underwood. 


IN     THE     HEART    OF    THE     ANDES. 
The    view    looking    down    from    Oroya    into    the    Rimac    River    Gorec 


Central  and   South   America 


671 


sixty  feet  deep.  Tolima,  the  chief  peak  of  this  sub-range  (18,400  feet),  is  not  active  as  a  volcano, 
but  several  smaller  cones  have  lately  formed  on  its  slopes.  The  twin-crested  Yarumal  (7,470  feet 
and  7,230  feet)  completes  the  range.  The  Western  Colombian  Cordillera  is  also  known  as  the  Choco 
range,  from  the  name  of  the  Indian  tribe  who  formerly  dwelt  under  its  shadow.  Beneath  it  in  a 
rocky  valley,  several  thousand  feet  in  depth,  flows  the  River  Canea.  On  the  slopes  of  the  Cerro 
Torra  (12,600  feet)  gold  has  been  discovered. 

Within  the  borders  of  Peru  the  Andes  uplands  broaden  out  into  a  vast  tableland,  which  spreads 
into  Bolivian  territory,  and  ap- 
proaches in  extent  and  height 
the  great  plateau  of  Tibet.  The 
Peruvian  system,  however,  de- 
velops its  greatest  elevation  in 
the  lofty  crests  of  the  Cordillera 
Negra  and  the  Cordillera  Nevada, 
the  first  of  which  has  an  average 
altitude  of  16,000  feet  and  the 
latter  of  18,000  feet.  The  loftiest 
pinnacle  of  the  Nevada  range  is 
the  mighty  twin-peaked  Huas- 
can,  which  towers  to  a  height  of 
22,000  feet.  In  the  neighbour- 
ing Cerro  de  Pasco  the  alpine 
grandeur  of  the  scenery  is  well- 
nigh  overpowering  in  its  stern 
magnificence.  A  very  chaos  of 
irregular  mountain  peaks  fronts 
the  eye,  their  snow-covered  sum- 
mits seeming  like  giant  billows 
capped  with  foam.  The  sub- 
limity of  this  grand  and  rugged 
expanse  is  well-nigh  terrifying  in 
its  bleak  and  awesome  majesty. 
In  the  lands  which  lie  at  the 
base  of  these  mountains  a  sin- 
gular variety  of  scenery  is  notice- 
able. This  has  been  remarked 
by  Mr.  E.  G.  Squier,  who  says, 
concerning  this  strange  diver- 
sity :  "  Deserts  as  bare  and  re- 
pulsive as  those  of  the  Sahara  al- 
ternate with  valleys  as  luxuriant       "p°"  «°''  '°<^^- 

as  those  of  Italy.  Lofty  mountains,  crowned  with  eternal  snow,  lift  high  their  rugged  sides  over 
bleak,  black  paramos,  or  table-lands,  themselves  more  elevated  than  the  summits  of  the  Alleghanies. 
Rivers  taking  their  rise  among  melting  snow,  precipitate  themselves  through  deep  and  rocky  gorges 
into  the  Pacific,  or  meander  with  gentle  current  among  the  majestic  Andes,  to  swell  the  flood  of 
the  Amazon." 

It  was  among  these  lofty  solitudes  that  the  ancient  Incan  Peruvians  believed  their  Thunder-god 
to  dwell.  Among  the  dense  clouds  that  overhung  the  mountain  peaks  his  red  limbs  could  be  seen 
swiftly  moving,  and  his  giant  voice  could  be  heard  in  god-like  wrath.     And  even  to-day  the  Peruvian 


t*hvto  from  the  CO.  Ifclion  of] 


iJ.  H.  Dauber,  Esq.,  f.lt.O.S. 
THE     VENTANA. 
Tlie  Ventana,  or  window,   is  a    peculiarity    of    the    mountain    range    of    ifie  same 
name.     Tfie    mountain    peak    fias    been    hollowed    out    by  the  action  of    the    elements 


672 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


hillmen  pour  libations  of  native  spirit 
into  the  mountain  tarns  above  the^ 
snow-line  for  the  purpose  of  placating 
the  dreaded  being  who  dwells  on  the 
peaks  above.  For  his  sacred  bird,  the 
condor  which  inhabits  these  wastes,  they 
have  a  superstitious  veneration.  This 
bird  is  a  species  of  vulture,  and  its  head 
and  form  may  be  seen  traced  on  the 
objects  recovered  from  ancient  Peruvian 
graves.  It  was  one  of  the  chief  symbols 
in  the  Incan  insignia  of  royalty,  and 
its  likeness  is  carved  upon  the  great 
monolithic  doorway  at  Tiahuanaco. 

It  is  in  Chilian  territory  that  the 
Cordillera  begins  its  magnificent  march 
of  three  thousand  miles  to  the  Straits 
of  Magellan,  and  here  it  is  that  the 
highest  peaks,  the  largest  extinct  volca- 
noes and  the  most  enormous  glaciers  are 
to  be  discovered.  Here  are  Aconcagua, 
and  the  as  yet  unconquered  Cerro  del 
Mercedario,  which  has  never  yielded 
to  the  foot  of  the  explorer.  At  such 
heights  as  the  summits  of  these  extinct 
volcanoes  attain — an  average  of  nearly 
23,000  feet — protracted  existence  is  im- 
possible, and  the  dreaded  "gruna,"  or 
mountain  sickness,  menaces  the  traveller 
who  is  sufficiently  rash  to  attempt  the 
escalade  of  these  dizzy  heights.  At 
such  an  altitude  movement  is  terribly 
burdensome,  and  the  rate  of  progress  may  be  stated  on  the  confession  of  a  traveller  as  about  a 
yard  a  minute. 

Many  of  the  Chilian  Andes  are  still  uncharted  on  any  map.  Hundreds  of  miles  of  these 
mountains  are  untrodden  and  unknown,  and  many  lofty  peaks  of  over  twenty  thousand  feet  in 
height  have  never  been  measured  or  even  visited  by  scientists.  The  Fitz-Gerald  expedition,  for 
example,  sighted  from  the  peak  of  Tupungato  a  great  burning  mountain,  of  which  absolutely  nothing 
was  known.  It  seems  strange,  in  these  days  of  exploration,  that  a  single  yard  of  the  earth's  surface 
should  remain  unknown  ;  and  it  cannot  be  long  before  these  isolated  summits  yield  themselves  to 
the  all-conquering  foot  of  man. 

The  Veniana. — The  Sierra  Ventana,  or  Window  Mountain  range,  south  of  the  Plate  estuary, 
in  Argentina,  derives  its  name  from  an  opening  in  the  summit  of  the  range  which  measures  four 
metres  in  width  and  ten  in  height,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  dome  twelve  metres  in  thickness.  The 
opening  is  twenty  metres  in  length.  It  is  most  likely  that  this  phenomenon  has  been  caused  by 
what  is  known  as  sub-aerial  denudation,  a  process  whereby  all  mountains  are  slowly  reduced  in 
height  by  atmospheric  action,  and  by  llie  same  process  the  softer  portions  of  the  soil  or  rock  would 
be  slowly  but  surely  worn  away  by  the  action  of  wind  and  rain.  The  Ventana  range  has  been  sub- 
jected to  a  very  great  amount  of  weathering,  and  at  one  time  must  have  been  among  the  most  lofty 


^ 

^1 

k 

^V^f"^ 

^^H 

^^H  v  '.-V~ 

^^^^1 

^^H       t^'V'^^A 

^r^      .      J 

^^H>^ 

H^''*^ 

^Kl^'^-i^"\ 

AImB^^  ' 

^^■S&J^ 

'       '■'       J  a 

^^^^^B .  jpi% 

1 

•^  ^'^11 

H^ '•■■■' r^Kvi.     ,f,-  V 

■•0* 

Wi0.     -^       Sd'-'\'* 

RC^-<I^:><'         ^' 

1  M 

^m.  '^;-'^  !•'■'  ■■ . 

■HP*    .^ 

B|"§c^'^^'-^' ■  \ 

■??#■    "^ 

^p^'-^^'r                '\- 

r 

f 

^B^*^  ■*■-' '. 

1 

■  >Vj  ■ 

E^^^ftK..-'.m'tl 't'  .' 

\  - 

.■■:.■'    -■■  ..la 

W^W.  '1 

Photo  from  the  collection  0/]  \_J.  11.  Dauber,  Esq.,  F.li.U.S. 

THE    VENTANA. 

A   comparison   of   this    orifice   with    the   seated    figure   to  the   right   of 
the  picture  will  give  a  rough  idea  of  its  size. 


iiy  int  t-'/uttacurun 


ALHAMBRA. 


The  wonderful  mosaics  and  glazed  tile-work  contribute  considerable  charm  to  this  the  most   beautiful  of  Moorish  Palaces.    The 
decorations  here  shewn  of  the  Sala  de  Las  Camas  are  splendid  examples  of  Moorish  art. 


Central  and   South   America 


673 


The  great  river  is  arrested  in  the  middle 


ranges  on  the  globe.     Their  present  average  height  of  three  thousand  eight  hundred  feet  shows 
how  far  the  process  of  denudation  has  gone. 

The  range  is  situated  at  a  distance  of  sixty  miles  north-north-east  of  Bahia  Blanca,  and  runs 
parallel  with  the  Tandil  Mountains.  It  was  explored  by  Hauthal  in  1892,  and  he  corroborated  the 
opinion  of  Reclus  regarding  the  extreme  antiquity  of  these  mountains.  It  is  possible  that  the 
"  window,"  or  aperture,  which  is  so  striking  a  feature  of  this  range,  has  been  caused  by  violent 
glacial  action,  which  actually  tunnelled  the  peak  from  side  to  side,  and  formed  the  opening  which 
gives  the  system  its  name,  and  which  stands  as  a  marvel  unique  in  the  history  of  geology. 

Kaieiear  Falls. — The  great  falls  of  Kaieteur  in  British  Guiana  are  formed  by  the  descent  of 
the  Potaro  River  into  a  gulf  some  two  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in  depth.  Until  the  year  1868  they 
were  practically  unknown  to  Europeans.  They  present  a  wonderful  picture  to  the  traveller  as  he 
emerges  from  the  forest  by  which  they  are  surrounded 
of  its  course  and  hurled  into 
the  abyss  beneath,  where  a 
steam  as  from  a  boiling 
cauldron  arises  from  the  strife 
of  waters.  Five  hundred 
cubic  feet  of  water  plunge 
every  minute  into  the  fearful 
depths  below,  wliere  numer- 
ous jagged  rocks  and  ledges 
churn  it  into  rapids  and  send 
it  sweeping  onwards  at  a 
fearful  pace.  Further  down 
the  Potaro  descends  again 
and  again  by  a  succession  of 
cascades.  Altogether,  with 
the  grand  fall,  the  river  de- 
scends for  over  three  hundred 
feet  and  in  its  fall  gradually 
increases  to  a  speed  of  nearly 
twenty-five  miles  an  hour. 
There  is  reason  to  believe, 
however,  that  the  constant 
wearing  of  the  rocks  down 
which  it  rushes  has  consider- 
ably minimized  the  original 
height  of  the  fall,  and  this 
within  comparatively  recent 
times,  as  the  rocks  over  which 
it  thunders  are  soft  and  very 
friable  in  composition.  For 
the  same  reason  the  gulf 
below  is  being  gradually 
deepened,  and  this  to  some 
extent    compensates    for    the 

1  /-I'll  Photo  hv^  C^.  H*t7(//'fjfj(  Anderson. 

loss  of  height  when  measured  kaieteur   falls.   British  guiana. 

from        the        summit        of         the  Unknown   to  the  traveller  till  they  were  ai.covered  in  1868,   the.e  («11.  are  formed 

falls.  by   the  descent  of  the   Potaro   River  into  a  gulf  of  over  200  feet   in  depth. 

44 


674 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Rio  Harbour  ana  the  Sagar-ioaf  Mountain. — The  entrance  to  the  harbour  of  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
the  capital  of  the  United  States  of  Brazil,  affords  a  panorama  of  unsurpassed  beauty  to  the  voyager 
who  views  it  from  the  deck  of  an  incoming  liner,  or  from  any  of  the  numerous  vantage-points  which 
surround  the  city.  The  peculiar  effect  of  the  view  is  contributed  to  as  much  by  the  unique  nature 
of  the  surroundings  as  by  their  intrinsic  beauty.  From  a  vast  sea-basin  surrounded  by  lofty 
mountains  and  laving  the  promenades  of  a  city  of  dazzling  whiteness  arise  strange  islands,  resembhng 
nothing  so  much  as  the  peaks  of  a  submerged  Alpine  range.  Of  these  many  are  quite  bare,  but 
others,  covered  by  luxuriant  tropical  fohage,  seem  as  floating  forests.  After  passing  the  islands 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  estuary,  the  full  splendour  of  the  Gulf  of  Botafogo  bursts  upon  the 
view.  On  the  left  rises  the  fantastic  peak  of  Gavea,  the  summit  of  which  consists  of  a  mass  of  highly- 
polished  rock.  Beyond  is  the  truncated  summit  of  Andarahy,  of  a  sombre  blue  colour.  Further 
from  the  shore  the  Corcovado  needle,  a  stony  Une  of  naked  rock,  runs  parallel  with  the  coast. 

The  shores  which  slope   from  these  heights  present  a  spectacle  of  fairy-like    loveliness  which 


THE     HARBOUR,     RIO     DE    JANEIRO. 

Brazil  has  been   favoured  with  one  of   the  most   wonderful   natural  harbours   in   the  world:   for   the  bay  of   Rio  has  a  mouth 

less  than  a  mile  wide,  but  is  deep  enough  for  the  largest  vessels,  and  can  easily  be  defended. 

would  tax  the  descriptive  powers  of  a  Shelley.      Beholding  them,  one  is  irresistibly  reminded  of  the 
strange  beaches  sung  by  him  in  "  Alastor  "  : 

Lo,  where  the  pass  expands 
Its  stony  jaws,  the  abrupt  mountain  breaks,  * 

And  seems  with  its  accumulated  crags, 
To  overhang  the  world  :  for  wide  expand 
Beneath  the  wan  stars  and  descending  moon 
Islanded  seas,  blue  mountains,  mighty  .streams, 
Dim  tracks  and  vast,  robed  in  the  lustrous  gloom 
Of  leaden-coloured  even,  and  fiery  hills 
Mingling  their  flames  with  twilight,  on  the  verge 
Of  the  remote  horizon. 

The  silver  of  sand  and  the  sapphire  of  sea,  the  long  ridges  of  snowy  foam,  the  myriad  tints  oi 
rock  and  weed  softening  into  the  haze  where  the  white  city  lies,  afford  a  scene  of  loveliness  to  tired 
eyes  unequalled  even  by  the  dazzling  lagoons  of  the  islands  of  the  Pacific.  Beyond  rises  the  gigantic 
monohth  of  the  Pao  do  Assucar,  or  the  Sugar-loaf  Mount,  conical,  isolated,  colossal.  This  unique 
mountain  rises  from  a  peninsula  which  fronts  the  Gulf  of  Botafogo. 

The  Sugar-loaf  Mountain  is  nine  hundred  and  ten  feet  high,  and  with  the  surrounding  mountains- 
is  supposed  to  make  up  a  resemblance  to  the  human  form,  called  the  "  Stone  Man."  of  which  it 
constitutes  the  feet,  and  Mount  Gavea  the  head,  or  face  in  profile.  Within  this  vast  oval  basin  of 
sea,  some  thirty  miles  long  by  twenty  broad,  the  horizon  is  everywiiere  bounded  by  lofty  mountaini 


676 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


Photo  by  permission  o/l 


{Sir  elements  Markham. 


THE     INCA     FORTRESS    OF     PISSAC. 

For  the  protection  of  their  empire  the  Incas  were  forced  to  erect  extensive  fortifications  at  the  points  most  open  to 
assault.  One  of  these  was  in  the  Valley  of  Yucay,  which  gave  access  to  a  headland  of  the  Andes,  but  which  was  pro- 
tected   by    these    mighty    forts. 

ranges  of  the  most  bizarre  shape  and  outUne.  The  numerous  islands  and  surrounding  declivities 
appear  as  natural  fortresses,  and  the  enormous  headlands  which  guard  the  very  entrance  to  the 
"  harbour  "  are  sufficient  guarantee  against  the  passage  of  hostile  war-vessels  so  long  as  guns  can 
be  mounted  upon  their  summits. 

The  Tandil  Rocking-Stone. — In  the  Tandil  range  of  mountains  south  of  the  River  Plate,  in 
Argentina,  stands  the  famous  Tandil  Rocking-Stone,  by  far  the  largest  example  of  the  kind  in  the 
world,  weighing  as  it  does  seven  hundred  tons.  It  is  composed  of  granite,  and  contains  one  hundred 
and  thirty  cubic  metres.  It  is  in  the  shape  of  a  paraboloid,  four  metres  high  and  five  metres  in 
diameter  at  the  base.  The  stone  rocks  upon  a  knob  of  rock  beneath,  which  fits  closely  into  a  socket- 
like hollow  in  the  stone  itself.  The  action  of  the  elements  through  countless  centuries  has  succeeded 
in  wearing  away  the  softer  parts  of  the  stone,  and  leaving  behind  the  harder-gritted  core.  The 
stone  is  so  perfectly  balanced  that  it  can  be  vigorously  rocked  without  any  fear  of  its  falling. 

The  Tandil  Stone  is  so  delicately  poised  that  it  could  crack  a  nut,  yet  so  firmly  fixed  that  it 
could  not  be  displaced  by  a  team  of  a  thousand  horses  which  were  yoked  to  it.  It  is  the  stone  of 
which  this  is  a  "  sample"  that  is  employed  in  the  paving  of  the  streets  of  Buenos  Ayres,  the 
municipality  of  which,  before  the  opening  up  of  the  Tandil  quarries,  had  perforce  to  import  some 
five  hundred  tons  of  paving-stone  from  Genoa. 

The  Inca  Fortress  of  Pissac. — For  the  proper  protection  of  their  empire  and  culture  the  Incas 
found  it  necessary  to  erect  extensive  fortifications  at  those  points  where  they  were  threatened  by 
barbarous  peoples,  much  as  the  Romans  were  led  to  build  the  walls  of  Antonine  and  Hadrian  to 
guard  against  the  incursions  of  the  Picts  and  Scots,  or  the  civilized  Chinese  their  Great  Wall  against 
the  furious  Tartar  inroads. 


Central  and   South   America 


677 


One  of  the  most  wonderful  of  these  mountain  fastnesses  was  that  of  Pissac,  commanding  the 
approach  to  the  valley  of  Yucay.  From  the  background  of  the  snow-covered  Andes  juts  an  oval 
headland  some  three  miles  long,  and,  at  its  most  elevated  point,  nearly  four  thousand  feet  high.  This 
projection  is  of  the  wildest  and  most  rugged  description,  and  from  its  surface  great  beetling  cliffs  start 
at  irregular  intervals,  alternating  with  level  spaces  and  gentle  slopes.  At  three  points  only  is  it 
accessible.  There  is,  however,  a  picturesque  stairway  from  the  adjacent  town,  cut  in  the  living 
rock,  which  winds  and  turns  along  its  face,  past  dizzy  precipices,  and  projections  of  rock  on  which 
towers  were  erected  whence  the  garrison  could  discharge  showers  of  stones  upon  the  invaders. 

When  the  ascent  has  been  made  to  the  higher  slopes  a  number  of  artificial  terraces  are  encountered 
which  exhibit  great  skill  and  a  fine  sense  of  regularity.  They  run  down  to  the  very  edge  of  the  sheer 
precipices  below  and  are  ascended  by  flights  of  steps,  by  the  side  of  which  are  narrow  aqueducts 
to  supply  the  water-tanks  for  the  use  of  the  defenders  in  the  fortifications  below.  As  a  second  line 
of  defence,  every  possible  loophole  of  entrance  is  here  battlemented  and  escarped  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  render  access  impossible,  and  round  towers  crowned  with  battlements  guard  every  pass. 

With  regard  to  the  temple  group  of  buildings,  the  most  original  and  remarkable  of  these  is  seen 
to  be  the  Inti-huatana,  or  apparatus  by  which  the  Incan  Peruvians  were  enabled  to  discover  the 
seasonal  periods  of  the  year.     The  name  signifies  "  Place  where  the  sun  is  haltered,"  or  "  tied  up." 

The  buildings  which  surround  the  Inti-huatana  are  nearly  all  oblong  in  shape  and  similar  to 
each  other  in  area  and  construction.  That  they  were  dwellings  or  temples  for  the  priestly  class  is 
certain.  From  the  site  on  which  they  stand  the  great  central  peak  of  the  fortress  can  be  reached. 
The  steep  and  dizzy  path  skirts  cliffs  a  thousand  feet  in  height,  and  upon  it  it  is  impossible  for  two 
men  to  walk  abreast.  Some  four  hundred  yards  up  the  cliff-side  the  artificial  shelf  or  roadway 
widens  a  little,  and  a  flight  of  steps  ascends  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  to  a  little  tower  perched 
upon  an  aery  crag.     Beyond  the  tower  which  commands  it,  the  pathway  is  excavated  through  the 


-*» 


mmM3M  * 


jf'/ioto  vy  /yi 


The 
merited 
pass. 


„-,«,.  0/] 


THE    INCA     FORTRESS    OF     PISSAC. 
maze  of  fortifications  inside   the  surroundine  wall  is  extremely  elaborate.     Every  possible  loopKole  of    entrance  is  battle- 
and  escarped  in  such  a  manner  as  to  render  access  impossible,  and  round  towers  crowned  with  battlements  guard  every 


678 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


rock,  so  that  only  one  person  at  a  time  may  pass,  and  that  in  a  crouching  position,  and  by  this  means 
only  can  access  be  had  to  the  eastern  peak  of  the  stronghold,  which  is  much  less  elaborately  fortified- 
On  its  summit  an  area  of  perhaps  a  quarter  of  an  acre  has  been  levelled  and  banked  up  by  cut 
stones,  and  this  at  a  height  of  four  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  valley  !  From 
this  point  signal-fires  were  lit  to  warn  the  inhabitants  of  Cuzco,  the  Inca  capital,  against  the 
approach  of  the  barbarian  tribes  to  the  eastward.  In  the  ravine  behind  the  fortress,  and  between 
the  eminence  upon  which  it  is  built  and  the  spur  of  the  Andes,  are  numerous  niches  and  crevices 
in  which  the  defenders  of  the  fortress  slept.  These  stretch  for  upwards  of  a  mile,  and  the  place  is 
known  as  Tantana  Marca,  "  The  Steeps  of  Lamentation."  The  name  might  well  apply  to-day  to 
the  empty  fortress  itself,  the  mighty  monument  of  a  vanished  but  unforgotten  empire. 

The  Ruins  of  TVa^aanaco.— Scattered    over    the  Andean    slope    of  Peru    are    groups    of   ruins 
attributed  to  a  prehistoric  people  who  dwelt  in  the  country  before  the  coming  of  the  Incas,  and 


Photo  hy  permission  of]  IVerlag  vun  V.  J'.  WisioU. 

TIAHUANACO. 

Scattered    over    the    Andean    slope    of    Peru     are     groups    of    ruins    attributed    to     a    prehistoric    people    anterior    to    the    Incas. 

Chief  amongst   these  ruins  is  the  meealithic  doorway  of  Tiahuanaco  carved  out  of  a  single  block  of  stone. 

consisting  principally  of  buildings  of  cyclopean  type — edifices,  temples  and  doorways  constructed 
from  vast  stones,  in  many  cases  considerably  larger  than  the  analogous  buildings  of  the  early  peoples 
of  Greece  or  Egypt  contain.  To  this  race  scientists  have  given  the  name  "  Andean,"  and  although 
little  is  known  concerning  it,  it  is  generally  agreed  that  it  has  left  examples  of  masonry  which  it 
would  be  diificult  to  excel  for  boldness  of  design  and  massiveness  of  execution. 

The  outstanding  characteristics  of  this  masonry  are  that  the  stones  composing  it  are  fitted  into 
each  other  with  a  skill  which  all  the  resources  of  modern  workmanship  could  not  improve  upon, 
and  that  no  mortar  or  cement  is  employed,  bronze  clamps  taking  the  place  of  this  in  the  majority 
of  instances. 

Chief  among  these  remarkable  ruins  are  the  groups  at  Tiahuanaco,  which  is  situated  on  the 
southern  side  of  Lake  Titicaca,  thirteen  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  They  cover  an 
area  of  nearly  an  acre,  and  are  chiefly  famous  for  the  wonderful  megalithic  doorway,  seven  feet 
high  and  thirteen  and  a  half  feet  in  length,  carved  out  of  a  single  block  of  trachytic  stone.     The 


;i>v-<' 


•/  VHi 


m's 


C 


7 


\\ 


mnmf 


/'^'j^o  6^  permission  of\ 


m  \y. 


e>r  ^  '■ 


^ 


II 


TIAHUANACO. 
Details  of  the  sculpture  on  the  "  Andean  "  doorway. 


IVfrlag  ion  C.  T.  Wisiolt. 


68o 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


Photo  by  permission  of} 

TIAHUANACO. 

Tialiuanaco  is    situated    on    the    southern  side  of    Lake    Titicaca,   13,000    feet    above    sea-level: 

historic  masons  of   Peru  builded  here  must  remain  a  mystery. 

upper  portion  of  this  doorway  is  covered  with  sculpture  of  a  most  curious  type,  the  central  idea 
representing  the  sun  surrounded  by  rays,  and  clasping  a  sceptre  in  both  hands.  These  sceptres 
end  in  the  heads  of  condors,  a  species  of  vulture  which  is  common  to  the  vicinity.  On  either  side 
of  this  design  rise  three  tiers  of  figures,  each  in  a  kneeling  position,  and  facing  the  central  figure. 
All  of  these  are  winged  and  have  the  heads  of  condors,  except  some  which  obviously  represent  kings^ 
and  who  wear  the  insignia  of  royalty  and  sceptres  similar  to  that  of  the  central  figure.  It  is  thought 
that  this  sculpture  was  raised  to  commemorate  some  remarkable  event  in  the  reign  of  one  of  the 
unknown  monarchs  of  a  forgotten  pre-Incan  dynasty,  or  else  was  undertaken  as  an  act  of  homage 
to  some  deity.  For  what  reason  the  prehistoric  masons  of  Peru  builded  here  will  probably  for 
ever  remain  a  mystery.  The  surroundings  are  perhaps  the  most  unsuitable  for  the  construction 
of  large  edifices  that  could  have  well  been  selected,  and  the  region  in  which  they  stand  is  desolate 
and  difficult  of  access.  The  tableland  upon  which  they  are  built  is  so  high  above  the  level  of  the 
sea  that  even  breathing  is  difficult  and  the  line  of  perpetual  snow  is  near  at  hand. 

On  Lake  Titicaca,  hard  by,  is  an  island  of  the  same  name,  on  which  are  many  ruins  of  surpassing 
interest.  This  was  the  sacred  island  of  the  ancient  Peruvians,  and  here  the  corn  was  kept  in  the 
sacred  granaries  to  be  later  distributed  throughout  the  land  for  sowing.  Here,  too,  the  Peruvians 
believed  the  founders  of  their  civilization  to  have  started  upon  their  pilgrimage  of  enlightenment. 
Chief  among  the  buildings  are  the  Palace  of  the  Sun,  the  abode  of  the  priests  who  worshipped  the 
luminary,  and  the  Palace  of  the  Incas,  The  Palace  of  the  Sun  was  reached  by  steps  cut  in  the  rock, 
and  its  fa9ade  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet  was  pierced  by  five  doors.  On  the  contiguous  island 
of  Coati  many  important  ruins  are  likewise  to  be  found.  It  was  consecrated  to  the  moon,  and  its 
edifices  included  the  Palace  of  the  Virgins  of  the  Sun,  a  plain  and  almost  unsculptured  building,  on 
the  first  story  of  which  two  large  halls  opened  upon  the  principal  facade.  In  the  first  of  these  was 
placed  a  golden  statue  of  the  sun  and  in  the  second  a  silver  statue  of  the  moon.  The  lake  was  reached 
by  a  series  of  terraces  and  steps,  from  which  marvellous  views  of  the  surrounding  lacustrine 
scenery  can  be  obtained. 


EUROPE. 


CHAPTER    XXL 

•    By     CHARLES    RUDY. 

Prehistoric  Sardinia. — The  richest  field  of  research  for  the  archaeologist  is  the  Mediterranean, 
its  shores  and  islands,  for  prehistoric  man  roamed  through  the  forests  that  skirt  the  Great  Inland 
Sea  from  far  Syria  to  the  coast  of  Spain,  joined  in  those  days  to  the  African  continent.  When  the 
islands,  such  as  Malta,  Corsica,  Sicily,  the  Balearic  Isles  and  Sardinia  broke  off  from  the  mainland, 
they  were  inhabited  by  tribes  who  rapidly  increased  in  numbers  until  they  formed  the  native  popu- 
lation of  their  new  home.  Practically  safe  from  attack  from  without — nav.'gation  on  a  big  scale 
being  unknown — they  were  able  to  create  a  civilization  of  their  own.  and  develop  it  on  lines 
peculiar  to  their  surroundings. 
When,  in  subsequent  centuries, 
foreigners  approached  the  shores 
of  these  islands,  and  colonized 
a  fringe  of  land  around  the 
sea,  the  native  element,  savage 
and  unreasonable,  was  driven 
into  the  interior,  where  their 
civilization  lingered  until  it 
was  completely  forgotten,  and 
monuments  crumbled  and  were 
covered  with  earth,  only  to 
be  excavated  within  the  past 
fifty  years.  Such  is  the  his- 
tory of  the  majority  of  the 
Mediterranean  Isles,  and  fore- 
most among  these  must  be 
placed  Malta  and  Sardinia, 
the  latter  the  proud  possessor 
of  the  most  perfect,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  most 
numerous  dwellings  of  the 
Neolithic  Age.  The  island 
must  have  been  densely  popu- 
lated, especially  in  the  centre 
and  north,  where  huts,  villages, 
tombs  and  temples  have  been 
unearthed,  and  mounds  still 
to  be  investigated  dot  the 
landscape. 

The  most  frequent  remains 

^   .  This    island    is    the    proud    possessor    of    the    most    perfect,    and    at    the    same    time 

are  those   known    as  the  nuraghl,  ,|,^    ^„„    numerous    dwellings    of    the     Neolithic    Age.      The    illustration    show,    the 

oversix  thousand  in  number  and      mouth  of  a  sacred  well. 


Photo  bi/'i 


[Underwood  tt  Underwood. 
PREHISTORIC     REMAINS.    SARDINIA. 


682 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


generally  located  on  a  platform  or  elevated  point  of  vantage,  such  as  the  head  of  a  ravine,  tableland, 
or  in  the  vicinity  of  a  ford.  They  were  the  huts  of  primitive  man,  and  though  the  upper  stories 
have  in  most  cases  fallen,  it  seems  that  the  original  form  was  that  of  a  truncated  cone  :  in  other 
words,  the  walls  were  circular,  the  diameter  growing  smaller  as  the  structure  rose  in  height. 
Among  the  peculiarities  of  these  huts  is  the  fact  that  the  doors  always  faced  the  south, 
the  inmates  thus  escaping  the  north  winds.  In  the  interior  the  crevices  between  the 
rough  blocks  of  stone  which  form  the  wall  were  daubed  with  clay.  Inside  the  door,  on 
the  right,  a  niche  was  cut  into  the  wall,  presumably  to  be  occupied  by  a  sentry,  who  could 
easily  attack  an  enemy  coming  into  the  liall.  Should  he,  however,  pass  the  sentinel,  and, 
crossing  the  semi-circular  hall,  attempt  to  reach  the  inner  room,  he  would  be  balked  by  a  stair- 
case, the  steps  of  which  were  irregular,  some  only  a  foot  high,  others  varying  from  three  to  four. 
In  many  cases  security  was  enhanced  by  a  buttress  tower  in  advance  of  the  liut.  In  a  more  com- 
plicated form,  such  as  the  Nuragho  Losa  near  Abbasanta.  a  large  hut  contained  another  within  its 

precincts,  or  was  surrounded 
by  smaller  dwellings,  the  whole 
being  enclosed  in  a  bastioned 
wall  of  primitive  structure. 
Broken  bits  of  pottery,  of  a 
black,  porous  clay,  have  been 
found  in  some  of  these  nuraghi, 
as  well  as  small  bronze  statues 
of  simple  design,  and  angular, 
in  the  nature  of  Egyptian  art. 
These  are,  however,  of  pos- 
terior date,  belonging  to  the 
Bronze  Age.  Nothing  is  known 
of  the  religion  of  these  primi- 
tive men,  though  several  un- 
derground excavations  seem  to 
indicate  the  existence  of  a 
temple.  Close  to  it  is  a  well, 
supposed  to  have  been  sacred, 
and  it  is  possible  that  springs 
and  wells,  being  of  primary 
importance,  should  have  been 
worshipped  in  some  way  or 
other.  Interesting,  also,  are 
the  tombs  which  have  been 
discovered.  They  are  of  two 
kinds  :  the  domus  de  gianas, 
which  closely  resemble  the 
rock-hewn  cemeteries  to  be 
found  along  the  Nile,  and  the 
iombe  dei  giganti.  These  latter 
were  built  within  sight  of  a  hut, 
and  consist  of  one  chamber, 
ten  to  twelve  yards  long,  by  a 
REMAINS.   SARDINIA.  yard  high  and  wide,  and  lined 

the    Underground  Temple.  witll  llUge  slabs  of  stoUe. 


Photo  by] 


PREHISTORIC 
The 


entrance 


Photo  6yl  ll/nderuood  tC-  Undervood. 

THE    ST.    GOTHARD    TUNNEL. 

A    photograph    c«n   only   show   the   entrance   of    the    tunnel,   which    is    one    ot    the    greatest    engineering    feats    ever   undertaken. 

It  is  a  maze  of  loops  and  spirals,  and  in  one  part  the  line   takes  the  curves  of  a  figure  8. 


684 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Photo  dy]  iThe  Photochrom  Co.  Ltd. 

THE    GROTTO,    LOURDES. 
Sixty  years    ago    the    village    of    Lourdes  was    practically    unknown,  but    to-day  it    is    become    a    Mecca    of    the    Roman    Catlialics, 
fiundreds  of  thousands  of  pilgrims  journeying  yearly   to  the  miraculous  spring, 

Tke  St.  Gothard. — One  of  the  greatest  of  engineering  feats  ever  undertaken  was  the  construction 
of  the  St.  Gothard  Railway  between  Switzerland  and  Italy.  It  is  not  its  length — in  a  bee-line  the 
total  distance  covered  between  the  Lake  of  Lucerne  and  Airola  would  not  exceed  fifty  miles — that 
is  significant,  but  the  difficulties  that  had  to  be  overcome  in  threading  gorges,  crossing  rivers  and 
building  tunnels,  the  latter  being  the  most  marvellous  mole-holes  that  the  world  has  ever  seen. 
The  writer  remembers  when  he  first  travelled  between  Lucerne  and  Lugano.  Opposite  him  in 
the  corridor  car  sat  an  old  gentleman  armed  with  a  compass,  an  aneroid  barometer  and  a  ther- 
mometer. It  was  a  study  in  facial  expression  to  watch  the  gleam  of  satisfaction  on  the  old  man's 
face  when,  in  a  tunnel,  the  compass  danced  a  jig  from  south  to  east,  to  north,  to  west,  and  south 
again,  and  the  aneroid  barometer  rose  from  two  thousand  to  three  thousand  feet,  and  the 
thermometer  climbed  from  fifty-five  to  sixty-five  degrees  Fahrenheit.  But  it  was  in  the  big  tunnel 
that  the  excitement  in  the  master  scientist's  face  reached  its  climax.  During  the  eighteen  minutes 
it  took  us  to  cover  the  nine  and  a  half  miles,  my  vix-d-vis  had  ample  leisure  to  feed  his  eyes  on  his 
instruments.  The  compass  made  a  circuit  from  left  to  right,  followed  by  another  from  right  to 
left,  for  the  tunnel  is  built  in  the  figure  8  ;  the  thermometer  showed  seventy-three  degrees  Fahrenheit 
and  the  aneroid  climbed  steadily  to  three  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-six  feet  above  the 
sea,  and  then  began  to  descend,  until  when  we  emerged  from  this,  the  second  largest  tunnel  in  the 
world,  the  needle  stood  in  the  vicinity  of  three  thousand  feet.  For  it  is  a  curious  fact  that  the 
highest  point  on  the  line  is  reached  in  the  very  heart  of  the  big  tunnel,  from  which  point  the  line 
descends  in  both  directions,  towards  Goschenen  in  the  north  and  Airola  in  the  south.  Until  a  few 
years  ago  the  St.  Gothard  was  the  largest  tunnel  in  the  world,  but  this  honour  has  now  fallen  to 


Europe 


685 


the  Simplon,  which  is  five  thousand  three  hundred  and  sixty  yards  longer.  The  Simplon,  however,  is 
built  in  a  straight  line  ;  at  a  given  moment  it  is  seven  thousand  feet  below  the  crest  of  the  mountains 
through  the  base  of  which  it  bores  its  way,  and  the  temperature  rises  to  ninety  degrees,  which, 
even  on  a  hot  summer's  day,  is  considered  a  high  reading  in  the  shade.  Otherwise,  the  St. 
Gothard's  rival  need  not  be  feared;  in  point  of  beauty,  and  the  rushing  from  one  scene  to 
another,  the  older  line  stands  alone  among  the  railways  of  Europe.  It  is  a  veritable  study  in  loops 
and  spirals — three  such  tunnels  being  on  the  northern,  and  four  on  the  southern  incline.  In  all, 
there  are  eighty  tunnels,  aggregating  twenty-eight  and  a  half  miles,  and  there  are  three  hundred 
and  twenty-four  bridges  of  a  span  over  thirty-two  feet.  The  wildest  scenery  is  to  the  north  of 
Goschenen,  where  the  line  endeavours  to  follow,  with  more  or  less  success,  the  roaring  Reuss  on  its 
way  to  the  Lake  of  Lucerne.  But  more  impressive  is  the  descent  on  the  Tessin,  or  Swiss-Italian 
side.  For  the  winds  of  the  south  and  its  sunshine  burst  upon  the  traveller  as  slowly,  creeping  snake- 
Hke  with  many  a  coil,  the  train  loops  its  way  into  the  fertile  plains  that  lead  through  Piamonte  and 
the  Lombardy  to  the  Eternal  City  and  the  basking  languor  of  the  bay  of  Naples.  As  for  the 
mountain  chain  of  the  St.  Gothard,  only  glimpses  of  it  can  be  obtained  from  the  car,  and  yet  it  is 
one  of  the  many  picturesque  groups  of  massive  snow-clad  granite  for  which  Switzerland  is  noted. 
A  pass  leads  over  the  top  of  a  ridge  between  two  high  peaks,  and  a  carriage-road  connects  the  north 
with  the  south.  A  famous  hospice  stood  at  the  summit  of  the  pass,  but  it  was  totally  destroyed 
in  a  recent  fire,  and  has  been  rebuilt  on  more  modest  and  modern  lines.  The  railway  has  naturally 
taken  the  traffic  for  which  the  St.  Gothard  Pass  was  known,  and  to-day  the  tourists  who  come  this 
way  in  order  to  enjoy  the  view  and  a  bird's-eye  glance  over  the  railway  lines  below  them  are  few 
and  far  between. 

The  Grotio  a.t  Loardes. — In  a  charming  spot,  nestling  among  the  northern  spurs  of  the 
Pyrenees,  and  not  far  distant  from  Pau,  stands  the  Castle  of  Lourdes,  with  the  village  of  the  same 
name  at  its  feet,  and  opposite,  on  a  peninsula  formed  by  a  sudden  turn  in  the  course  of  the  river 
Gave  de  Pau,  Mount  Calvary  rises  gradually  to  an  insignificant  height.  Sixty  years  ago  the  village 
was  practically  unknown.     But  a  strange  thing  happened.     One,  Bernadette  Soubirous,  a  mystic 


ALHAMBRA.    GRANADA. 

The  exterior  of  the  Alhambra  belies  the  interior;  it  is  severe,  forbidding-looking  and  massive. 

of  Arab  architecture. 


\(!en.  Bertram  hfxilford. 
It  is  nevertheless  the  masterpiece 


686 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


maiden  in  her  teens,  saw  the  Virgin,  dressed  in  white  and  wearing  a  blue  scarf,  appear  to  her  in  a 
grotto  situate  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Calvary,  and  speak  to  her,  telling  her  that  if  a  shrine  were  erected 
on  the  spot,  the  waters  in  the  grotto  would  acquire  heahng  properties,  and  thousands  of  cripples 
would  come  from  afar  and  be  cured  of  their  ills.  Bernadette  told  the  village  clergy  what  she  had 
seen  and  heard,  and  then  retired  into  a  convent,  where  she  died  twenty-one  years  later.  In  the 
meantime  the  miracle  had  been  noised  abroad  ;    the  supposed  instructions  were  carried  out  as  they 

had  been  given  to  the 
mystic,  and  sufferers  began 
arriving  in  ever-increasing 
numbers.  Faith  is  in 
many  cases — as  doctors 
will  tell  us — a  powerful 
cure,  and  it  is  not  surpris- 
ing, therefore,  that  some 
of  the  lame  and  disabled 
pilgrims  should,  after  bath- 
ing in  the  waters  of  the 
marvellous  grotto,  drop 
their  crutches  and  walk 
away.  The  fame  of  the 
village  grew  by  leaps 
and  bounds,  until  to-day 
Lourdes  is  without  a 
parallel  in  the  contem- 
porary history  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church. 
It  is  a  modern  St.  James 
of  Campostella,  with  this 
difference,  that  whereas 
the  journey  to  Galicia  in 
the  Middle  Ages  was  both 
arduous  and  hazardous, 
a  generous  service  of 
special  trains  brings  the 
pilgrims  rapidly  to  the 
Grotto  at  Lourdes,  and 
in  such  numbers  that, 
from  August  15  th  to 
September  15th  of  eacli 
year,  no  fewer  than  one 
hundred  thousand  visitors  arrive  at  the  shrine.  Of  these  many  are  naturally  only  tourists  and 
sightseers,  who  take  advantage  of  the  excursion  tickets  to  visit  some  of  the  beauties  of  the 
Pyrenees,  stopping  a  night  on  their  way  at  the  old  village  at  the  foot  of  the  castle,  now  turned 
into  a  prison.  The  fervent  pilgrims  have,  however,  little  or  nothing  to  do  with  the  right  bank  of 
the  Gave  de  Pau.  Crossing  the  new  bridge,  they  huddle  together  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Calvary  ; 
they  gaze  at  the  statue  of  the  Virgin,  make  their  votive  offerings,  with  which  the  basilica  on  the 
hillside  is  covered ;  bathe  in  the  ice-cold  waters  of  the  spring— no  longer  visible,  but  walled  in.  the 
crystal-clear  waters  being  led  through  taps  into  a  basin— and  pray  that  their  sufferings  may  be 
ended.      What  a  medley  of  peoples  and  races  is  to  be  seen  among  the  pilgrims  on  the  Esplanade 


P'<^"'  ''y]  [N.  1>.  Edwards. 

THE    COURT    OF     LIONS.    ALHAMBRA. 

The  use  of  animals  in  decorative  work  is  forbidden  by  tlie  Koran;  but  here  the  laxity 
that  often  accompanies  luxury  has  allowed  the  beautifully  sculptured  fountain  that  gives 
its  name  to  the. court. 


THE    COURT    OF    LIONS.     ALHAMBRA. 
The   efFecl  of   the  slender  columns,  now  standing  singly,  now    in    groups  of    two    or    three,   is    one    of    exquisite    grace    and     dazzling 

sunshine  and  shadow. 


688 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Photo  hy'\ 


THE    COURT    OF    THE     MYRTLES,    ALHAMBRA. 


{The  Photoehrom  Co.  Ltd. 


So  named  from  the  green   myrtles  that  are  planted  by  the  side  of  the  water-basin,  which  extends  throughout   the  length 

of  the  court. 

and  among  the  rows  of  shops  where  knick-knacks  and  souvenirs  are  to  be  bought  !  And  what 
misery  !  Even  Jerusalem  at  Easter  is  not  a  more  piteous  sight,  nor  does  it  offer  a  more  varied 
cacophony  of  sounds  and  languages. 

The  Grotto  itself  has  very  little  to  recommend  it  beyond  its  sway  as  a  psychic  force  in  modern 
Catholicism.  The  grottos  of  Betharram,  two  miles  distant,  are  both  greater  and  grander.  It  is 
a  recess  fifteen  feet  deep  by  fifteen  wide,  similar  to  many  in  the  vicinity,  where  prehistoric  remains 
have  been  unearthed.  Above  it,  on  a  projecting  rock,  stands  the  effigy  of  the  Virgin,  in  a  white  robe 
and  a  blue  scarf.  The  Basilica,  which  has  been  erected  on  the  hill  above  the  Grotto,  was  consecrated 
in  1876,  and  no  fewer  than  thirty-five  princes  of  the  Church  were  present,  headed  by  the  Cardinal- 
Archbishop  of  Paris  and  the  Papal  Nuncio,  who  in  a  solemn  moment  crowned  the  statue  of  Our 
Lady  of  Lourdes, 

The  Athambra. — The  intense  poetry  of  a  romantic,  oriental  race  clad  Spain  in  a  garb  of  beauty 
which  still  clings  to  her,  in  spite  of  her  many  vicissitudes.  Desertion  and  desolation  have  harassed 
her,  but  many  of  the  jewels  which  the  Moors — to  use  a  general  term — bestowed  upon  her  during 
their  stay  in  the  land  of  orange-blossoms  and  olive-trees  still  shine  in  her  tiara,  and  of  these  jewels 
none  can  compare  with  the  Alhambra  in  brilhancy  and  lustre.  It  is  the  "  CuUinan  "  of  her  regalia, 
the  last  and  the  highest  expression  of  a  marvellous  art  movement  which,  finding  its  origin  in  a 
white  tent  on  the  bank  of  an  oasis  pool,  passed  through  Egypt,  Sicily  and  Morocco,  and  finally 
reached  a  climax  of  voluptuous  light  and  colour  in  Andalusia.  Saracenic  art  has  produced  no 
more  perfect  specimen  of  intricate  workmanship  and  rich  fantasy  than  the  lone  halls  of  feerique 
beauty  and  fading  colours  crowning  the  hillside  overlooking  Granada,  the  lost  city  of  the  Moors. 

The  exterior  view  of  the  Alhambra  belies  the  interior  ;  it  is  severe,  forbidding-looking  and 
massive.     Once  within  the  walls  the  impression  is  totally  different ;    extreme  lightness  blends  with 


Europe 


689 


a  myriad  colours,  in  which  the  reds  and  blues  predominate,  against  a  background  of  immaculate 
white.  Fairy-like  pillars  and  columns,  surmounted  by  flimsy  arches,  delicate  as  lacework,  seem  to 
raise  the  walls  instead  of  to  support  them,  whilst  between  them  intricate  vistas  are  to  be  obtained  of 
desolate  halls  and  courts,  each  apparently  more  superbly  decorated  than  the  preceding.  In  the 
height  of  its  fame,  just  before  the  fall  of  Granada  in  1492,  it  must  have  been  a  magnificent  pleasaunce, 
of  which  the  few  remains,  the  most  elaborate  of  their  kind,  are  but  a  tithe  of  the  many  rich  apart- 
ments contained  in  the  Red  Castle,  when  Bobadilla,  the  'ast  King  of  Granada,  "  unable  to  defend 
like  a  man  what  he  wept  over  like  a  woman,"  was  compelled  to  pass  over  to  Africa.  At  that  time 
flashing  fountains  of  water  sparkled  in  the  sunshine  and  were  intermingled  with  palms  and  orange- 
trees  planted  in  the  courtyards,  which,  with  their  fragile  colonnades  and  variegated  colours,  were 
like  a  tangle  of  rare  flowers  ;  while,  in  recesses  under  arcades,  the  white-robed  Saracens  lounged  on 
rich  oriental  rugs,  sipping  their  cooling  drinks,  and  in  the  hareem  the  favourite  sultana  sat  in  that 
most  wonderful  of  alcoves,  known  as  the  Lindaraja,  gazing  out  across  an  orange-grove  to  the  fertile 
fields  of  the  vega.  To-day  most  of  the  fountains  are  silent,  and  the  colours  are  paling.  The  fall  of 
noisy  feet  is  heard  on  the  pavement  instead  of  the  sandals  of  old.  But  even  to-day  the  halls  are 
beautiful,  unique.  With  a  little  care  and  money  spent  on  its  maintenance  by  a  sparing  govern- 
ment, the  life  of  the  stucco  ornamentation — consisting  for  the  most  part  of  wonderful  stalactites 
and  an  ever-changing  wall  and  arch  ornamentation — could  be  prolonged  for  years  to  come. 

The  most  perfect  in  detail  and  execution  of  the  few  remaining  halls  and  courtyards  is  that  part 
of  the  building  leading  off  from  the  Court  of  Lions,  and  known  as  the  Hall  of  the  Two  Sisters. 
An  elaborately  wrought  dome  crowns  the  central  fountain,  and  its  circular  contour  is  continued  to 
the  level  of  the  eye  by  means  of  huge  stalactites  which  hang  like  rainbow-coloured  combs  dripping 
with  honey.     The  decorative  motives  on  the  walls  are  richer  than  elsewhere,  the  coloured  tiles  more 


Pholo  iy-] 


IThe  Photochrom  Co.  Ltd. 
THE    HALL    OF    THE    AMBASSADORS,    ALHAMBRA. 
This    hall    was    the    throne-room    of    the    Sultans    of    Granada.        Its    ornamentation    in    stucco    and    glazed    tiles    was    very 

rich,    gold    being    the    predominant    colour. 

45 


690 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


vivid,  the  filigree  stucco  work  more  varied,  and  the  Arabic  inscriptions,  which  are  numerous 
throughout,  are  more  poetic  and  of  more  exquisite  workmanship..  Doubtless,  this  was  the  central 
hall  of  the  private  apartments  of  the  Sultan.  Here  he  sat  with  liis  womenfolk,  or,  if  he  was  engaged 
in  conversation  with  strangers,  the  "  soft-eyed  gazelles  "  of  his  hareem  could  either  peep  down 
from  behind  trellis-work  on  the  delicate  upper  gallery,  or  else  lounge  in  some  other  apartment 
behind  the  heavy  curtain — now  no  longer  existing — which  hid  the  Lindaraja  Alcove  from  the 
impertinent  gaze  of  the  visitor. 

One  hundred  and  twenty-four  columns  surround  the  famous  Court  of  the  Lions,  which  dates, 
as  do  most  of  the  existing  remains  of  the  Alhambra,  back  to  the  end  of  the  fourteenth  century. 

An  oblong  of  one  hundred 
and  sixteen  feet  by  sixty- 
six  feet,  the  court  is  named 
after  the  conventional  lions 
of  the  central  fountain.  The 
use  of  animals  and  human 
beings  as  decorative  motives 
is  regarded  by  strict  Moslems 
as  being  forbidden  by  the 
Koran ;  but  in  the  Alhambra 
these  motives  frequently 
occur,  showing  that  Christian 
influence  had  brought  laxity 
to  one  at  least  of  the  pre- 
cepts of  Islam.  The  filigree 
work  in  the  Court  of  the 
Lions  is  less  rich  in  its 
fantasy  than  that  of  the 
Hall  of  the  Two  Sisters ; 
but  the  effect  of  the  aerial 
columns,  now  standing  singly, 
and  now  in  groups  of  two 
or  three,  where  they  support 
the  two  dome-shaped  por- 
ticoes which  protrude  from 
the  colonnade,  one  at  each 
end  of  the  court,  is  one  of 
dazzling  beauty  and  bewilder- 
ment. A  companion  court, 
still  existing,  is  that  of  the  Myrtles,  or  of  the  Fishpond.  Throughout  its  whole  length  a  basin  of 
water  glistens  in  the  sunshine,  flanked  by  two  rows  of  green  myrtles  ;  at  one  end  rises  a  two-storied 
building  supported  by  the  traditional  columns,  and  possessing  a  running  balcony  of  exquisite 
lightness.  The  other  end,  flanked  by  richly-tiled  alcoves,  leads  into  the  Hall  of  the  Ambassadors, 
seventy-five  feet  by  thirty-seven  feet,  and  surmounted  by  a  graceful  dome  of  painted  larch- wood. 
As  in  the  case  of  the  Hall  of  the  Two  Sisters,  the  dome  is  encased  in  a  square,  strong  tower,  which,  seen 
from  the  outside,  gives  no  indication  of  the  extreme  fragility  and  beauty  of  the  interior.  The  angular 
effect  of  the  wall  has  been  avoided  by  drooping  stalactites  in  the  corners.  Eight  horizontal  bands 
of  further  stucco  (or  plaster)  work  run  around  the  hall,  followed  by  a  rich  ornamentation  of  glazed 
tiles,  which  reach  from  the  floor  to  the  level  of  the  eye.  This  hafll  was  the  throne-room  of  the 
Sultans  of  Granada,  and  gold  was  the  predominant  colour.     It  wks  here  that,  in  1492,  the  last 


From  titereo  copyright  byl 

THE    COURT    OF    JUSTICE. 


[//.  C.  While  Co. 


ALHAMBRA. 


Pfwto  hy\ 


THE     HALL    OF    THE    TWO    SISTERS.    ALHAMBRA. 


yrhe  Pholochiom  Co.  Lid. 


This    is    the    most    perfect    of     the    halls    leading    from    the    Court    of    Lions,    and    was    probably     the    centra!    hall    of    the 

private    apartments    of    the    Sultans. 


692 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


sorrowful  council  meeting  of 
the  kingdom  was  held,  and  a 
few  hours  later  Granada  had 
surrendered  to  the  Spanish 
conqueror.  Thus  the  immacu- 
late Alhambra  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  victorious  enemy, 
who  forthwith  destroyed  part 
in  order  to  build  a  still  un- 
finished palace,  and  left  part, 
after  having  despoiled  it,  to 
die  a  lingering  death. 

The  Hypogeum,  Malta.  — 
Though  the  nuraghi  remains  in 
Sardinia  eclipse  those  found 
elsewhere,  the  most  important 
monument  belonging  to  the 
Neolithic  Epoch — supposed  by 
many  scientists  to  date  back 
three  thousand  years  before 
the  dawn  of  history — is  the 
huge  Hypogeum  of  Malta, 
composed  of  a  series  of  irre- 
gular monolithic  rooms,  sub- 
terranean and  inter-communi- 
cating. It  was  discovered  in 
1902  by  a  workman  digging  for 
a  water-tank,  and  a  year  later 
the  authorities  proclaimed  it 
public  property  and  excava- 
tions were  begun.  Houses 
surround  the  place,  and  at  the 
time  of  the  discovery  of  the 
Hypogeum  their  water-tanks 
had  been  leaking  for  ages.  Part  of  the  Hypogeum  was  found  to  be  under  water,  which  had  to 
be  removed.  Refuse  also  filled  many  of  the  rooms,  for  in  the  course  of  centuries  the  entrance 
shaft  had  been  used  as  a  convenient  place  for  refuse  matter,  until  it  had  been  filled  and  forgotten 
and  a  house  built  upon  the  site.  The  1902  discovery  was  on  the  opposite  side,  and  reached  a  room 
several  yards  below  the  surface  ;  so  that  before  excavations  on  a  systematic  scale  could  be  under- 
taken, and  the  real  entrance  located  and  cleared,  a  winding  staircase  had  to  be  built. 

The  excavated  and  cleared  portion  of  the  astounding  honeycomb  of  galleries  and  rooms  covers 
an  approximate  area  of  fifty-four  thousand  square  feet.  The  real  entrance  is  on  the  summit  of  a 
hill,  and  the  general  trend  of  the  Hypogeum  from  this  spot  is  towards  the  north,  west  and  south  in 
the  form  of  a  fan.  The  ground  under  which  it  extends  is  known  as  Hal-Saflieni  and  Ues  just  beyond 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  village,  Casa  Paula,  and  it  is  by  either  of  these  two  names  that  the  monument 
is  known.  The  size  of  the  rooms  varies  considerably,  the  largest,  known  as  the  Hall,  measuring 
twenty-one  feet  by  fifteen  feet,  with  a  height  of  about  nine  feet ;  the  smallest,  merely  a  recess,  is 
less  than  a  yard  in  its  side  dimensions.  The  shape  of  these  chambers  varies  as  much  as  the  size, 
from  an  irregular  outline  hewn  ad  libitum  to  that  of  a  perfect  semicircle.      Noteworthy,  also,  is  the 


Pholo  by] 


MIRADOR     DE     LINDARAJA. 


IThe  Photochrom  Co.  Lid. 
ALHAMBRA. 


Europe 


693 


irregularity  of  the  floors,  for  practically  no  two  rooms  are  built  on  the  same  level.  Sometimes  steps 
hewn  in  the  rock  lead  from  one  room  to  another  ;  or  again,  there  is  a  drop  either  with  or  without 
a  monolithic  step  to  break  the  fall.  Two  stories  have  been  discovered,  joined  by  a  flight  of  stairs 
broadening  as  it  descends,  the  first  step  being  six  feet,  and  the  last,  or  eleventh,  nine  feet  long. 
The  height  of  each  step  varies  also  considerably,  the  average  being  about  six  inches. 

The  most  noteworthy  features  in  connection  with  the  Hypogeum  are  the  doors,  ceilings,  and 
the  thickness  of  the  walls,  which  in  some  places,  between  two  adjoining  rooms,  has  been  cut  down 
almost  to  a  wafer.  The  ceilings  of  some  of  the  rooms  were  painted  red  ;  in  one  case,  the  patches 
of  colour  still  to  be  seen  seem  to  indicate  that  the  whole  room  was  painted,  but  in  the  innermost, 
and  at  the  same  time  the  most  perfected,  part  of  the  monument  the  paint  has  been  applied 
with  more  art,  in  the  form  of  dainty  scroll-work  interspersed  with  circular  patches.  The  doors, 
however,  awaken  the  greatest  admiration.  As  will  be  seen  by  the  photographs,  most  of  the  doors 
can  boast  of  jambs  and  lintel,  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock,  a  passage  in  the  lower  story  enjoying  even 
a  double  ornamentation  of  this  kind.  But  the  photograph  showing  the  innermost  room  is  the  most 
remarkable,  for  in  this  chamber  art  has  been  achieved.  The  inner  jambs  and  lintel  have  been 
added,  either  from  purely  ornamental  motives,  or  else  with  a  view  to  make  the  doorway  smaller. 
The  outer  lintel  has  a  decoration  in  the  form  of  a  rounded  groove  at  the  top  and  bottom,  thus  ridding 
it  of  its  angular  edges,  whereas  the  door  is  flanked  by  two  recesses  or  niches.  Some  attempt  at 
beauty  has  been  attained,  moreover,  in  the  semicircular  ceiling.  In  another  photograph  a  view  is 
shown  of  a  vaulted  arch  in  the  ceiling  which  terminates  in  a  monolithic  pilaster  flanking  a  gallery  ; 
and  in  yet  another  illustration  we  have  a  door,  above  the  lintel  of  which  three  shts  of  varying  width 
have  been  cut  through  the 
wall — hardly  for  the  sake 
of  ventilation,  because,  if 

so,  this  feature  would  be 

more  frequently  met  with 
in  the  Hypogeum.     And, 

finally,  in  another  room, 

the    floor    has    been    cut 

around   a   central  orifice, 

which  doubtless  served  as 

a    receptacle     for    water 

in  connection  with  some 

religious  rite. 

The      question      now 

arises :      why    was     this 

Hypogeum  cut  out  of  the 

living  rock  ?     The  answer 

of    the    archaeologists   is, 

that  it  served  the  purpose 

of  a  huge  ossuary  for  the 

deposition  of  bones  after 

they  had  been  dried  and 

scraped  in  the  open  air. 

Human  bones,  either  per- 
fect, in  fragments,  or  else 

in    mouldered    dust,    are 

the   remains  which   have 

been  found  in  the  greatest 


Pholo  by]  C*-  ^"*'- 

THE    HYPOGEUM.    MALTA. 

This  huge  •cries  o(  subterranean  monolithic  rooms  was    discovered    by  a  workman    in   1902. 

Some  authorities  date  their  formation  to  a  period  3,000  years  before  the  dawn  of  history. 


694 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


number  witliin  the  rooms.  The  supposition  is  that  this  ossuary  was  the  common  burial-ground  for 
the  inhabitants  of  the  whole  island.  The  theory  that  the  bones  were  placed  within  the  rooms  in  a 
dry  state  was  suggested  after  a  calculation  had  been  made  of  the  probable  number  of  skeletons  repre- 
sented by  the  bones  and  deposits  found  in  one  of  the  rooms  ;  this  was  found  to  be  about  two 
hundred,  while  in  reality  there  could  only  have  been  room  for  twelve  bodies  in  the  recess.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  lack  of  thorough  ventilation,  and  of  traces  either  of  food  or  ashes,  must  necessarily 
lead  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Hypogeum  was  not  a  habitation.  The  discovery,  moreover,  of 
pecuHar  discs,  spheres,  and  other  strange  utensils  seems  to  indicate  that  they  were  of  use  in  some 
rehgious  ceremony.  Among  other  objects  found  which  give  a  clue  to  the  customs  of  the  builders 
may  be  mentioned  the   bones  of  fowl,  dogs   and  pigs,  pottery  of  an   ornamental  kind   (not  for 

household  use),  decorated 
with  feather,  scale  and 
other  motives,  and  painted 
red  on  black,  with  one 
plate  ornamented  with  the 
picture  of  a  spotted  animal 
with  horns  and  a  long  tail ; 
and  last,  but  not  least, 
several  small  statues,  one 
of  which,  in  alabaster, 
is  the  figure  of  a  nude, 
doubtless  the  oldest  Venus 
in  existence.  Nothing  of 
bronze,  or  even  flint,  was 
discovered  in  the  Hypo- 
geum, which  is  hewn  in 
a  white  calcareous  rock. 
How  the  workmen  went 
about  their  work  is  not 
known ;  but  from  holes 
drilled  into  the  rock  in 
the  unfinished  part  of  the 
ossuary,  it  is  supposed  that 
the  method  of  procedure 
THE   HYPOGEUM.   MALTA.  Consisted  in  drilhng  holes 

in  the  surface  of  a  rock, 
and  then  widening  them 
by  means  of  flint  chisels  and  stone  hammers — some  of  the  latter  having  been  found  in  the  Hypogeum. 
The  excavations  are  by  no  means  completed,  nor  have  bone  and  cranium  measurements  taken 
place.  Judging  by  the  Venus  found,  however,  the  hair  of  the  tribe  was  short  and  curly,  and  the 
people  fat  rather  than  wiry.  These  characteristics  show  that  there  is  a  great  affinity  between  the 
builders  of  the  ossuary  and  the  later  inhabitants  of  Malta,  whose  bronze  statuettes  have  been 
found  at  Hagiar  Kim.  Hundreds  of  years  must  have  separated  the  two  peoples,  for  there  can 
hardly  be  a  doubt  that  the  Hypogeum  at  Hal-Saflieni  belongs  to  the  Neolithic,  and  not  to  the 
Bronze,  Age. 

Gibraltar, — Even  in  the  days  when  military  science  was  in  its  infancy,  the  rock  of  Gibraltar, 
rising  to  a  height  of  fourteen  hundred  feet  sheer  out  of  the  waves  of  the  Mediterranean,  appealed  to 
the  imagination  of  the  ancients,  who  called  it,  together  with  its  companion  Gebel  Musa  on  the  African 
coast,  the  Pillars  of  Hercules.     But  in  all  other  respects  they  left  the  solitary  giant  alone  to  his 


Photo  hy'] 


[li.  Ellis. 


The  already  excavated    portion  of  the    astounding    honeycomb  of    galleries  and  rooms 
covers  an  approximate  area  of  600  square  yards. 


Photoa  i>v] 


[«.  Ellis. 


THE     HYPOGEUM,     MALTA. 


Not  only  was  this  subterranean  wonder-burrow  excavated,  but   the  ceilings  of  some  of  the  rooms  were  decorated  with  a  scroll- 
work in  a  red  paint.     The  above  illustrations  afford  the  best  examples  of   this  decoration. 


696 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


in.  Ellis. 

THE     HYPOGEUM,     MALTA. 
Mo8t    of    the    doorways    of    the    Hypogeum    can   boast    of    iambs    and    lintel    which    have 
been    hewn    out    of    the    solid    rock  ;    but    in    the  doorway  depicted  a  second  series  of  jambs 
and  lintel    has    been    added    for    decorative    purposes. 


meditations,  and  left  it 
to  the  founders  of  a  new 
empire,  the  Arabs,  to  be 
the  first  to  recognize  its 
strategic  value.  As  Moors 
they  crossed  the  Straits  in 
711,  christened  the  Rock 
"  Gebel-el-Tarik,"  or  the 
Mountain  of  Tarik,  their 
leader's  name,  constructed 
a  castle,  which  is  still 
standing  overlooking  the 
bay,  and  conquered  the 
whole  peninsula.  Nine 
hundred  years  later  the 
last  Moor  was  exiled  from 
Spain,  and  he  left  it  where 
he  had  landed,  in  the  Bay 
of  Gibraltar.  From  that 
moment  the  future  of  the 
Peiion,  as  the  Spaniards 
call  our  possession,  was 
assured.  It  was  fortified 
by  Charles  V.,  and  on  the 
decline  of  the  Spanish 
Empire  passed  into  our 
hands.  Napoleon  tried  to 
wrench  it  from  us  when  he 
was  building  his  empire, 
and  at  no  great  distance 
Trafalgar  was  fought  and 
won.  In  one  respect,  there- 
fore, the  Rock  is  unique  ; 
it  is  the  key  not  only  to 


Mediterranean  supremacy,  but  also,  and  in  a  more  general  way,  to  the  mastery  of  the  sea.  In 
the  words  of  Thackeray,  it  is  "  the  very  image  of  an  enormous  lion,  crouched  between  the 
Atlantic  and  the  Mediterranean,  and  set  there  to  guard  the  passage  for  its  British  mistress." 

"  Gib  "  is  said  to  be  impregnable,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  we  are  not  over-confident  when  we 
claim  it  as  such.  A  German  mihtary  authority  was  once  asked  his  opinion.  "  It  is  hollow,"  was 
the  laconic  reply.  There  is  certainly  some  truth  in  the  statement,  for  since  the  Rock  has  been  in 
our  possession,  we  have,  to  a  large  extent,  honeycombed  it  with  galleries  winding  from  the  base 
upwards  around  the  northern  and  eastern  sides.  From  these  galleries — of  which  only  the  lower  is 
shown  to  visitors — platforms  have  been  hewn  in  the  hving  stone,  and  here  portholes  peep  out 
across  the  Mediterranean,  and  across  the  narrow  tongue  of  land,  flat  as  a  billiard-table,  which 
connects  the  fortress  with  tlie  mainland.  The  position  of  the  modern  guns  and  batteries  is  naturally 
one  of  the  most  jealously  guarded  secrets  of  our  War  Department,  and  only  very  few  living  men 
are  acquainted  with  the  formidable  mysteries  of  Sugar  Loaf  Hill  and  Highest  Point.  From  the 
town  side  on  the  west,  where  a  grass-grown  slope  replaces  the  sheer  plunge  of  the  cliffs  on  the 
east,  a  straggling  wire  fence  can  be  seen  stretched  along.     It  looks  innocent  enough,  and  so  does 


Europe 


697 


the  hill  above  it,  with  its  few  inquisitive  wild  monkeys — the  only  ones  in  Europe — partridges 
and  rabbits.  Nevertheless,  should  necessity  arise  that  hill-side  can  spit  shot  and  shell  in  a  manner 
unpleasant  to  the  boldest  enemy. 

The  Bay  of  Gibraltar,  or  of  Algeciras,  is  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  with  the  mountains  of  Spain 
as  a  background,  but  its  only  active,  commercial  spot  is  off  the  fortress  town,  winding  in  terraces 
between  sea  and  rock,  where  the  exclusive  English  inhabitants  keep  aloof  from  the  Levantine 
contingent  and  from  association  with  the  white-hooded  Moors  who  come  over  from  Tangier. 
But  though  the  town  is  interesting  to  those  who  have  never  seen  an  Oriental  crowd,  who 
consequently  leave  the  eastbound  steamer  for  an  hour  ashore,  the  real  beauty  of  Gibraltar  lies 
in  its  Alameda,  or  park — a  bright  green  patch  of  luxuriant  vegetation  spreading  from  the  busy 
streets  southwards  in  the  direction  of  Europa  Point.  Spaniards  themselves  are  forced  to  admit 
that  it  is  not  surpassed  in  beauty  on  the  peninsula — a  compliment  of  which  we  have  every  reason 
to  feel  proud.  For,  on  a  barren  rock,  three  miles  long  by  half  a  mile  across,  we  have  not  only 
created  the  premier  fortress  in  the  world  and  brought  an  important  trade  to  the  bay,  but  we  have 
managed  to  rear  a  tropical  garden  on  an  unkindly  soil,  thereby  giving  one  more  proof  of  our  national 
qualities  as  colonizers. 

ItciUca. — Andalusia  can  lay  claim  to  having  been  the  land  chosen  by  the  Romans  in  which 
first  to  give  an  expression  of  their  imperial  policy  of  expansion  by  founding  a  city  of  purely  Roman 
origin.  After  the  destruction  of  Carthage,  Scipio  Africanus  came  to  Bosetica — as  Andalusia  wais 
then  called — and,  in  immediate  proximity  of  Seville,  then  already  a  city  of  importance  and  destined 


Photo  hji] 


[It.  Ellis. 


THE     HYPOGEUM.    MALTA. 


Archa;ologiBt8  consider  that   these  series  of  excavations  were  intended  to  serve  as  an   ossuary  (or  the  deposit  of  bones  that 

had    been  dried  and  scraped  in   the  open  air. 


Pholo  bg'i 


[It.  LIH.i.  1 


THE    HYPOGEUM.    MALTA. 
One  o(   the  most  advanced  excavations.     Notice  the  vaulting  of    the    chapel    and.  the    monolithic    pilaster    flanking    the 

flight  of   steps. 


Europe 


699 


to  become  the  capital  of  the  West  Roman  Empire,  lie  laid  the  foundations  of  a  new  town  which  was 
to  be  a  second  Rome,  a  small  republic  of  its  own  in  the  heart  of  a  foreign  country.  Here  the  veterans 
of  the  African  wars  were  to  settle  down  and  enjoy  in  peace  and  tranquillity  the  remaining  years  of 
their  span  of  life,  and,  if  the  foundation  of  Italica  be  regarded  in  its  true  light,  it  was  simply  and 
solely  for  the  benefit  of  these  veterans  that  Scipio  laid  the  first  stone  of  a  city  which  was  to  rise 
into  power  and  wealth  with  the  rapidity  of  a  rocket,  and  fall  as  suddenly  into  the  gloom  of  obHvion. 
In  this  respect  Italica  is  almost  unique  in  the  history  of  the  world.  No  sooner  had  the  barbarian 
hordes  of  Goths  and  Vandals  swept  from  the  north  across  Spain  to  Africa,  leaving  the  ruins  of  the 
old  Roman  Empire  in  their  wake,  than  the  city  of  Scipio  Africanus  passed  from  the  memory  of  man, 
and  its  crumbhng  walls  were  used  by  Goths,  Moors  and  Spaniards  ahke  as  a  handy  quarry  for  the 
stones  required  in  building  Seville  and  Cordova.  But  before  this  happened,  Italica  had  grown 
to  be  one  of  the  three  chief  cities  of  Andalusia,  and  had  given  birth  to  no  fewer  tiian  three  Roman 
Emperors,  namely.  Trajan,  Hadrian  and  Theodosius. 


rhoto  hy] 


GIBRALTAR. 
A  general  view  of  this  "Pillar  of  Hercules"  as  it  appears  from  the  road  to  Spain. 


I'i  iir   i'h" 


The  utter  abandon  of  Italica  to-day  is  its  only  charm.  Passing  through  the  famous  suburb  of 
Triana  at  Seville,  the  tourist  travels  eastward,  following  the  course  of  the  Guadalquivir.  He  reaches 
Santiponce,  a  village  of  no  renown,  but  of  many  beggars.  Boys  and  girls  follow  him,  offering 
fragments  of  Roman  friezes  and  cornices  chopped  off  a  fallen  block  of  stone,  or  else  coins  which 
have  been  polished  beyond  recognition.  The  river  used  to  flow  here,  past  Italica,  but  when  it 
diverged  from  its  course  the  doom  of  the  Roman  city  was  sealed.  A  few  hundred  yards  away, 
among  olive-trees  that  bask  silver-white  in  the  glorious  sunshine,  lie  the  ruins  of  the  city.  Ruins  ? 
Vestiges  of  ruins;  in  the  words  of  Ford,  "  the  blackened  bones  of  half-buried  giants."  And  since 
he  wrote  those  words,  the  bones  even  have  succumbed  to  the  vandalism  of  Andalusian  beggars,  to 
the  negligence  of  a  careless  government,  and  to  the  requirements  of  gipsy  tribes,  who  use  the  vaults 
running  under  the  amphitheatre  as  a  temporary  shelter  during  their  nomadic  wanderings.  On 
the  seats  of  the  self-same  amphitheatre,  lizards,  regarded  by  the  superstitious  Andalusian  as  charms 
against  the  Evil  Eye,  warm  their  scaly  backs  in  the  sunshine,  and  on  the  approach  of  an  impertinent 
intruder,  disappear  rapidly  into  a  crevice.  Such  is  Italica  to-day.  The  Museum  at  Seville  contains 
some  fragments  of  statuary  found  here,  foremost  among  them  being  a  head  of  Minerva  and  a  small 


yoo 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


Venus.  Mosaic  floors,  such  as  Pompeii  has  to  offer  us  by  the  dozen,  were  likewise  discovered, 
and  carefully  drawn  by  enthusiastic  savants,  but  since  then  they  have  miraculously  disappeared 
like  so  many  of  Spain's  monuments. 

The  Sierra,  of  Malaga.— The  romantic  corners  of  Spain,  where  wild  nature  in  gorges,  canyons 
and  caves  defies  the  approach  of  man,  are  as  numerous  as  peaks  in  the  Alps,  and  one  among  these 
many  picturesque  spots  is  the  Malaga  Gorge,  on  the  line  from  Cordova  to  the  sea-port  town.  Those 
who  are  acquainted  with  the  history  of  the  downfall  of  Granada,  one  of  the  most  pathetic  defeats 
chronicled  throughout  the  ages,  will  remember  the  rash  folly  of  the  Conde  de  Urena  and  the  heroic 
obstinacy  of  Don  Alphonso  de  Aguilar,  both  of  whose  campaigns  ended  disastrously  for  the  Castilian 
arms  in  the  Serrania  of  Malaga.  They  will  also  remember  the  exploits  of  that  hardy  Moorish 
warrior,  el  Zagala,  who,  from  his'  alcazar  in  Malaga,  conducted  in  person  his  expeditions  into  the 
enemy's  country,  now  eastward  towards  the  Alpujarra,  northwards  in  the  direction  of  Cordova,  or 
westwards  past  Ronda  into  the  Campo  of  Gibraltar.      Those  were  the  good  old  fighting  days  when 


Plioto  by^ 


IT/ie  Photochrom  Co.  Ltd. 


THE     RUINS    OF    THE     AMPHITHEATRE.     ITALICA.    SEVILLE. 


Built   and   at   first   organized  by  Scipio  Africanus.   Italica  rose   to  power  and  sank   to  oblivion   with   the    swiftness    and 

brightness  of  a  meteor. 

the  hard-pushed  Moors  made  a  last  stand  for  the  independence  of  their  kingdom  of  Granada,  and 
it  was  in  the  passes  or  Puertos  of  the  Malaga  mountains,  a  chain  of  savage  peaks,  broken  into  rock- 
and  tree-strewn  vales  and  deep  gorges,  where  the  rivers,  beaten  into  froth  as  white  as  milk,  dash 
headlong  southwards,  that  the  last  valiant  skirmishes  between  Christian  and  Moslem  took  place. 
Legends  and  romances,  the  former  bristling  with  bravery  and  courage,  the  latter  aromatic  with 
southern  passion,  have  clothed  this  untamed  district  with  poems  that  have  hardly  a  rival  in 
literature.  Other  mountainous  regions  may  be  grander  and  more  majestic,  and  able  to  boast  of 
awe-inspiring  wonders,*  of  rugged,  chaotic  beauty  and  poems,  across  which  is  wafted  the  perfume 
of  orange-blossoms.  Those  who  know  their  Washington  Irving — wizard  of  the  pen,  even  if  fantastic 
dreamer — and  travel  by  rail  south  across  the  Sierra  from  Bobadilla,  that  most  horrid  of  unin- 
teresting junctions,  will  feel  the  influence  of  the  region  creep  over  them  as  the  train  crawls  along 
steep  declivities,  passes  over  the  roaring  river  Guadalhorce  hundreds  of  feet  below  the  arched  bridge, 
cuts  its  way  by  means  of  a  tunnel  through  a  mountain,  and  finally  leaves  these  picturesque  glens  and 
virgin  gorges  for  the  fields  of  Malaga,  planted  with  sugar-cane  and  vines  shadowed  by  orange-trees. 
The  change  from  the  chaos  of  Nature's  combats  among  rocks  and  crags,  to  the  smiling  orchards 
of  the  coast,  with  glimpses  of  the  blue  Mediterranean  glistening  in  the  far-off,  bursts  suddenly 

*  But  truth  and  fiction  have  combined  together  so  completely  to  make  the  Sierra  of  Malaga  famous,  that  all  Spain's  poetic 
beauty  is  centred  and  lingers  in  the  chaotic  splendour  of  this  rugged  mountain  range. 


'*"-',i^."*\  -V,'"' 


^'\ 


^'^sM^ 


PAo/o  ii/]  fyVif  photoehrom  Co.  Ltd. 

THE  GORGE  OF  THE  GUADALHORCE.  MALAGA. 

Natural  grandeur  and  the  romance  of  history    Have    made    the    Sierra  of  Malaga    famous.     Here    the    Guadalhorce    makes 

its  way  between  steep  cliffs  many  hundreds  of  feet  in  height   to  the  rich   fields:  of   Malaga. 


702 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


upon  the  traveller,  and  he 
can  understand  the  fascination 
which  beautiful  and  varied 
Andalusia  must  have  had  for 
her  Moslem  conquerors.  • 

The  sierra  which  surrounds 
Malaga  in  the  shape  of  a  gigan- 
tic amphitheatre  enters  the 
province  of  Granada  on  the 
east,  and  only  by  certain  passes 
can  those  of  one  city  com- 
municate with  those  of  the 
other.  The  coming  of  the  rail- 
way has  opened  up  the  north- 
ern district,  and  hardy  climbers 
are  beginning  to  explore  peak 
and  canyon.  Several  caves 
have  been  found,  some  of  them 
indicating  the  presence  of  pre- 
iiistoric  man,  others  covered 
with  beautiful  hanging  stalac- 
tites. In  the  west,  where  the 
mountains  change  their  name 
into  the  Sierra  de  Ronda,  the 
grandest  snatches  of  landscape 
are  to  be  obtained,  especially 
in  the  immediate  neighbour- 
hood of  Ronda,  where  the  Tajo 
seethes  and  boils  at  the  foot 
of  a  high  and  perpendicular 
cliff,  and  eats  its  way  seawards 
through  the  living  rock. 

The  Greek  Theatre  at  Taormtna, — A  priceless  jewel  in  a  wonderful  setting  must  have  been  the 
small  theatre  at  Taormina  in  Sicily,  distant  about  forty  miles  from  Messina.  To-day,  as  shown 
in  the  accompanying  photograph,  the  jewel  is  a  ruin,  but  the  wonderful  setting  remains.  In  the 
early  morning,  especially  in  winter,  when  the  run  rises  out  of  the  sea,  the  distant  snows  of  Mount 
Etna  are  bathed  in  a  rosy  hue,  and  nearer,  the  crests  of  the  hills  and  the  summits  of  rocks  and 
walls  take  on  that  ripe  golden  glow  peculiar  to  the  Mediterranean,  whilst  shadows,  almost  violet 
in  their  intensity,  stretch  forth  their  tentacles  toward  the  west.  What  a  surrounding  for  a  theatre, 
for  the  staging  of  a  weird  play  a  la  Maeterlinck,  or  of  a  Greek  tragedy  approaching  its  climax  in 
the  gloaming,  when  Mount  Etna  is  a  faint  silhouette,  and  the  nearer  hills  from  Mola  to  Monte 
Venere  loom  lugubriously  in  the  middle  ground,  between  the  actor  and  the  indefinite  far-away  ! 
A  stretch  of  the  imagination  and  the  whole  scene  can  be  pictured  by  the  mind's  eye  :  the  huddled 
spectators  seated  in  white  togas  on  their  stone-hewn  seats  in  the  amphitheatre.  In  front  of  them 
the  orchestra,  and  then  the  stage  where  actors  rehearsed  the  passions  which  are  both  noble  and 
ignoble — the  whole  surrounded  by  a  colonnade  of  white  marble,  about  which  the  first  evening  stars 
twinkled  in  a  cloudless  sky. 

Though  originally  built  by  the  Sicihan  Greeks  in  the  days  of  Dionysius  the  Elder,  who  ruled 
at  Syracuse,  the  theatre  at  Taormina  was  practically  rebuilt  by  the  Romans.     The  amphitheatre. 


From  ^tiTi'o  copyriijhl  hii'] 

TAORMINA. 
About    forty    miles    distant     from     Messina 
which    was  practically     rebuilt    by    the     Romans 
view    of    the    Roman   stage    with    Mount    Etna    ir 


lO'ndertcood  <{,•  Underirood. 
SICILY. 

lies  the  Greek  theatre  of 
This  illustration  shows 
the    distance. 


Taormina. 
the     front 


Europe 


703 


which  has  a  diameter  of  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet,  is  hewn  in  the  rock,  excepting  for  a 
few  additions  which  are  Roman.  A  vaulted  gallery  of  forty-five  columns  surrounded  the  whole 
building.  The  orchestra  amphitheatre,  which  is  in  perfect  condition,  has  a  diameter  of  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  feet.  In  our  photograph  a  front  view  of  the  Roman  stage  is  shown,  with  Mount 
Etna  in  the  distance.  The  wall,  running  from  left  to  right,  should  be  continuous,  forming  the  rear 
of  the  building,  which  had  originally  two  stories,  as  can  be  seen  by  the  solitary  ruin  of  a  wall  on 
the  right.  The  square-shaped  wing  on  the  same  side  of  the  illustration  was  used  for  the  dressing- 
rooms  and  for  storing  stage  decorations  ;  it  corresponded  with  another  on  the  left  of  the  spectator. 
The  stage  entrance  on  the  right  is  to  be  seen  beside  the  last  column  ;  of  these  columns  six  only  are 
standing,  having  been  placed  there  within  recent  years  by  the  authorities,  who  are  doing  their  utmost 
to  restore  as  much  of  the  building  as  is  possible.  Its  almost  total  destruction  has  been  generally 
attributed  to  the  Arabs,  but  it  now  transpires  that  the  chief  dehnquent  was  one  Duke  of  San  Stefano, 
who  used  columns,  capitals,  and  statues  for  ornamenting  his  own  palace.  Efforts  are  now  being 
made  to  collect  as  many  fragments  as  possible,  and  in  the  small  museum  above  the  ruins  are  to  be 
seen  some  Grseco-Roman  remains  of  interest,  if  not  of  beauty.  Exception  must  be  made  in  the 
case  of  a  fine  head  of  Apollo,  which  belonged  to  a  statue  placed  within  the  theatre.  As  the  bare 
walls  still  show  many  recesses  and  niches,  statuary  must  at  one  time  have  been  the  leading  decorative 
motive  in  the  most  beautifully  situated  open-air  theatre  in  the  world. 

Cordova.  Cathedral, — "  Cordova  shall  be  a  second  Mecca,"  said  Abderrahmen,  the  founder  of 
the  Western  Caliphat.  He  was  of  the  family  of  the  Omayyads  and  had  escaped  in  the  most 
miraculous  way  the  massacre  of  his  kith  and  kin  at  Damascus.  He  had  come  to  Cordova,  and  within 
a  few  years  he  made  himself  the  master  of  the  city,  and  was  the  first  of  the  Caliphs  of  the  Omayyads; 
That  was  in  the  eighth  century.     Two  hundred  years  later,  before  the  Norman  Conquest,  Cordova 


Photo  iy] 


[The  Pholochrom  Co.  Lid. 


CORDOVA  CATHEDRAL. 


This     mosque     is     the     largest     Moslem     cathedral     in     the     world,     and     is     a     magnificent     specimen    of     the 

architecture    of    these    people. 


relii 


704 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


was  the  mightiest  city  in  Spain,  one  of  the  wealthiest  in  Europe,  a  seat  of  learning  and  culture,  and 
in  possession  of  the  largest  mosque  or  Moslem  cathedral  in  the  world.  Another  two  hundred  years, 
and  the  banner  of  Castile  waved  over  the  castle  and  the  Cross  supplanted  the  Crescent  in  the  mosque, 
commonly  known  as  the  "  mezquita."  Since  then  the  decline  of  the  city  has  been  rapid,  and  to-day 
it  vegetates  in  the  shadow  of  the  most  marvellous  monuments  of  religious  Moslem  architecture 
in  existence.  Fate  has  willed  it  that  it  should  be  converted  into  a  cathedral,  but  the  mind  prefers 
to  see   t  as  it  stood  then,  when  Cordova  had  its  million  inhabitants  (if  we  are  to  believe  the  Arab 

chroniclers)  and  marble  baths  were  a 
pleasaunce  for  rich  and  poor  alike. 
In  the  centre  of  the  city  stood  the 
gigantic  mosque,  with  the  muezzin 
calling  to  prayers  from  a  minaret  no 
longer  existing.  Stern  and  grim  walls 
formed  a  mighty,  fortress-like,  rect- 
angular enclosure  five  hundred  and 
seventy  feet  long  by  four  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  wide,  in  size  almost 
equalling  the  area  of  St.  Peter's  in 
Rome. 

Once  inside  the  wall,  how  changed 
was  the  vista !  The  Court  of  Orange- 
Trees,  surrounded  by  an  arcade  where 
shadow  could  be  sought,  covered  one- 
third  of  the  area  of  the  mosque, 
and  was  planted  with  orange-trees  in 
eighteen  rows,  forming  nineteen  leafy 
aisles,  each  terminated  by  a  door 
leading  into  the  mosque.  Fountains  of 
cool  water  for  the  purpose  of  ablution 
flashed  in  the  sunshine.  But  the 
impression  of  an  endless  orchard  of 
green  aisles  was  enhanced  by  the 
peculiar  architecture  of  the  mosque. 
Looking  down  one  of  the  alleys  of  the 
Court  of  Orange-Trees,  and  through  the 
open  door  of  the  mezquita,  the  alley 
seemed  to  be  prolonged  indefinitely. 
Instead  of  living  trees,  shafts  arose 
in  the  subdued  light  of  the  mez- 
quita, and  were  crowned  with  horse- 
shoe arches  in  red  and  gold.  Burning  lamps  hung  in  festoons,  like  so  many  oranges,  by  which 
arrangement  an  unrivalled  impression  of  a  limitless  stretch  of  verdure  was  obtained.  Unfortunately 
the  degeneration  of  the  leitmotiv  has  been  complete.  The  doors  leading  into  the  building  have  been 
blinded,  and  a  choir  has  been  erected  in  the  very  centre  of  the  edifice,  thus  taking  away  three  hundred 
and  fifty  of  the  shafts  and  leaving  about  eight  hundred  and  fifty  to  complete  the  labyrinth  of  aisles, 
of  which  nineteen  are  longitudinal  and  twenty-nine  transversal.  One  of  these  aisles,  leading  from 
the  Court  of  the  Oranges  through  the  building  to  its  extreme  end,  was  the  principal  nave,  and, 
originally,  before  the  Caliph  Al-Mansur's  additions  in  the  tenth  century,  ran  through  the  centre  of 
the  edifice.     At  its  further  end  stood  the  holy  of  holies,  the  niihrab,  or  prayer-shrine  facing  Mecca, 


I'holo  IjyJ  [77ip  I'liiilochrom  Co.  Ltd. 

A  DOORWAY  IN  THE  CATHEDRAL.  CORDOVA. 

This  beautiful  decorated  arch  of  one  of  the  shrines  in  the  "mezquita* 
is  the  most  perfect  example  of  the  Byzantine  mosaic-worker's  art  in 
transparent    mosaic. 


VENICE. 


iBy  the  Phutuchrotn  Co.,  Ltd. 


The  most  famous  spot  in  Venice,  The  Piazza  of  St.  Mark,  is  the  evening  rendezvous  for  all  grades  of  Venetian  life. 
In  the  background  is  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Mark,  and  to  the  right   Les  Doges  Palace,  while  the  famous  Campanile. 

or  Bell  Tower,  dominates  the  scene. 


Europe 


705 


where  the  Cahph  of  the  day  had  his  prayer-stool.  This  small  recess  is  still  standing  to-day,  and  is 
beyond  a  doubt  one  of  the  marvels  of  the  Old  World,  to  see  which  thousands  of  people  travel  to 
Cordova.  They  may  pass  without  a  murmur  under  the  double,  superimposed  arches  resting  on 
capitals  of  an  unending  variety  of  design,  but  when  they  reach  the  mihrab  and  the  guide  holds  up 
a  lighted  candle  (which,  by  the  way,  leaves  a  streak  of  soot  behind  it)  to  show  the  shining, 
shimmering,  transparent  mosaic  which  lines  the  entire  wall,  an  ejaculation  must  perforce  fall  from 
their  lips.  For  nowhere  else  is  such  a  perfect  exhibition  of  the  Byzantine  mosaic-worker's  art  to 
be  found.  Unfortunately  for  the  peninsula,  however,  this  iridescent  shell  of  minute  atoms  was  not 
of  indigenous  workmanship,  for  it  was  sent  as  a  gift  by  the  Emperor  of  Constantinople  to  the 
most  powerful  potentate  of  the  West,  the  Caliph  of  Cordova. 

Those  were  the  palmy  days,  the  days  that  are  remembered  by  Moors  in  Morocco  and  Arabs  in 
Arabia  with  justifiable  pride.  Speak  to  an  educated  Moslem  in  one  of  the  cafes  at  Cairo  about 
Spain,  and  his  eyes  will  light  with  pleasure  and  his  lips  will  murmur  softly  :  "  Kurduva."  The 
Alhambra  is  of  second  importance  to  him,  and  a  mention  of  the  Giralda  at  Seville  will  hardly  bring 
a  smile  to  his  face.  But  Cordova — ah,  that  is  another  matter  !  The  Omayyads,  a  pure  Arab  family 
uncontaminated  by  the  Atlas  blood  of  the  Berbers,  ruled  in  the  favoured  city  on  the  Guadalquivir, 
and  the  Omayyads  were  a'great  and  glorious  family,  born  to  be  rulers  if  ever  a  family  was  born  to 
be  such.  Whereas  the  rest  of 
Spain,    long   before   the   dawn     Hi»j  ■   jl'  M 

of     those      cultured      centres,     W^jv'  W  ////iMBSB&"AJ|||}|?,^^^jP1{|||lf*r]!^  f  ^^  V'A\ 
Salamanca    and     Alcala,    was  .    v  - 

grovelling  in  a  semi-state  of 
savagery,  in  Cordova  was 
created  the  most  powerful 
centre  of  Islam  in  the  world. 
Mecca  was  the  Holy  City,  but 
Cordova  was  the  power  politic 
and  the  seat  of  learning.  To 
the  Omayyads,  the  first  of 
whom  fled  a  beggared  exile 
from  Arabia,  was  due  this 
marvellous  rise  of  what  had 
hitherto  been  an  insignificant 
satellite  of  Seville,  and  they 
were  the  creators  of  its  wealth 
and  of  its  importance  as  a  seat 
of  learning.  Generally  we  are 
of  the  opinion  that  the  Arabs 
in  Andalusia  were  an  in- 
tolerant, fanatic  horde,  for 
ever  waving  aloft  the  Crescent 
and  unsheathing  the  sword  in 
the  fray  against  Christians. 
This  belief  is  erroneous.  Cor- 
dova was  essentially  a  centre 
of  the  arts  and  sciences,  and 
students  came  from  distant 
lands  to  study  at  the  feet  of 
Arab  scholars,  Andalusian  Jews 


„J»?'7i?r.' 


Photo  hy'\ 


[_The  Photochrom  Co,  Ltd, 


CORDOVA    CATHEDRAL. 
The    second    prayer-shrine   or    Mihrab. 


46 


7o6 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


and  Muzarabes,  or  Christians  living  under  Arab  dominion.  Averrhoes,  the  Andalusian  Arab  who 
was  the  first  to  introduce  the  study  of  the  Greek  classics  into  Europe,  taught  at  Cordova,  and 
created  a  school  of  philosophy  from  which  was  to  be  born  at  a  later  date  the  Renaissance  of 
learning.  Unfortunately  the  birth  was  not  to  take  place  in  Spain,  for  by  the  time  Europe  was 
ripe  for  the  humanists,  Cordova's  star  had  paled,  and  Bologna  in  Italy,  the  Sorbonne  in  Paris,  and, 
in  a  minor  degree,  Salamanca  in  Castile,  had  wrested  from  Islam  those  teachings  which  Islam  had 
been  the  first  to  promulgate.  And,  if  any  further  proof  be  needed  of  the  tolerance  of  the  Arabs  in 
Andalusia,  be  it  remembered  that,  side  by  side  with  the  Oriental  civilization  of  Cordova,  there 
flourished  a  strong  Jewish  movement  that  has  left  its  mark,  not  only  in  the  history  of  that  race, 
but  in  the  literature  and  arts  of  Spain  as  well.  For  many  of  these  Cordovese  Jews  wrote  their 
poems  in  the  Spanish  language.     The  Christians  came  :  the  Jews  were  banished,  and  they  dispersed 


m^ 

! 

r  ti  uii    '  ^'^ 

*  '• 

n 

iiil^i  iiHi  1 J 

m  - 

'  Jfiv, 

\ 

Pholo  hit] 


[The  Photochrom  Co.  Ltd. 


TORGHATTEN.    NORWAY. 


The    famous    tunnelled    rock    of    the    Norwegian    fjords,    which    derives    its    name    from    its    resemblance    to    the    head- 
dress   of    the    peasants. 

to  the  four  corners  of  the  globe.  Many  of  them  settled  in  England,  as  did  a  large  number  of 
those  expelled  at  a  later  date  from  Portugal,  but  the  majority  migrated  to  Salonica,  then  and  now 
under  the  Crescent  of  Turkey,  and  there  they  continued  living  their  Spanish  life,  and  do  so  to  this 
day.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  Spanish  Jew  is  a  factor  in  the  Levant,  and  it  is  strange,  in  a  street 
somewhere  in  the  Near  East,  to  come  across  one  of  the  race  speaking  Spanish  of  the  fourteenth, 
century,  and  able  to  quote  from  the  rabbis  of  Cordova  and  the  poets  of  Andalusia. 

To-day  there  is  hardly  a  glimmer  of  the  great  city  to  be  found  in  the  dusty,  lazy,  sun-baked  town 
on  the  thirsting  Guadalquivir.  The  Mezquita  is  there,  as  are  old  houses  and  smiling  patios,  or 
courtyards,  filled  with  flowers,  carnations  and  spikenards,  among  which  flashes  the  scarlet  skirt 
of  a  happy  girl,  or  a  glimpse  is  caught  of  a  Christian  face  that  has  more  of  the  oriental  than  of  the- 
west,  and  reminds  us  of  some  Eastern  beauty  whom  we  met  wearing  a  muslin  veil  so  thin  as  to  betray 
her  features.  Otherwise  the  city  has  nothing  to  ofEer  us.  Its  bull-ring  is  as  are  those  of  Seville  and 
Valencia  ;  its  principal  square  is  lined  with  shops  and  cafes,  where  dominoes  are  continually  played, 
the  only  variation  being  the  rolling  of  cigarettes  between  tobacco-stained  fingers.     But  across  the- 


^^'^^^    ^  '""^^  '    '^  V  v*- 


^*<"<'  *»]  [£.  0.  Hood. 

TORGHATTEN.    NORWAY. 

This  wonderful  bore,  made  by  the  inrush  of  melting  glaciers,  which  at  length  met  together  in  fierce  impact  and  so  acted 

as  a  drill  upon  the  rock,  is  so  finely  bored  that  it   has  the  appearance  of  a  tunnel  worked  by  a  machine  chisel. 


7o8 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Hholo  hy] 


IE.  0.  Wood. 


THE     ROMAN     AQUEDUCl.    SEGOVIA. 


Few  of  the   Roman  remains  found  in   the  Iberian   Peninsula  can  compare  in  colossal  proportions  and  imposing  grandeur 

with   this  aqueduct  of  the  reign  of  Trajan. 

river,  in  the  Sierra  of  Cordova,  friars  and  monks  look  down  on  the  City  of  the  Fallen  and  doubtless 
praise  the  day  when  the  Crescent  waned  and  with  it  the  life  of  the  second  Mecca.  They  are  anchorites, 
the  monks  who  live  in  rude  and  lonely  cells,  in  the  peaceful  hills  among  palms  and  prickly  pears.  They 
and  their  haunts  remind  us  of  days  that  have  gone  in  the  same  way  that  Cordova  reminds  us,  for  they 
are  anachronisms — sombre  figures  in  brown  stepping  out  of  one  of  Zurbaran's  exquisite  pictures,  and 
their  faces  have  that  same  expression  of  piety  mixed  with  severity  that  has  given  the  Catholic  Church 
men  like  Ximenez  and  women  like  St,  Theresa. 

Torghatten. — Like  huge  serpents  of  clear  sea-water,  the  fjords  of  Norway  wriggle  miles  inward 
into  the  land,  and  offer  to  the  eye  some  of  the  most  picturesque  landscapes  in  the  world.  At 
times  the  channel  narrows  between  sheer  cliffs  to  the  width  of  a  tourist  steamer,  and  then  it  suddenly 
broadens  out  into  an  inland  lake  bordered  with  meadows  and  deep  green  pine  forests.  Farther 
north  glaciers  and  snowfields  come  down  almost  to  the  water's  edge,  and  nature  is  barren  excepting 
where  a  few  hardy  plants  struggle  for  a  bare  existence.  According  to  geologists,  these  intricate 
fjords  were  formed  by  the  movement  of  ice  in  the  Glacial  period.  One  mass  of  ice  spread  from 
Russia  across  the  Baltic  and  Sweden  to  the  valleys  of  Norway ;  the  other  pushed  eastward  from 
the  Atlantic,  and  it  was  in  these  fjords,  then  high-lain  valleys,  that  the  two  frozen  waves  fought 
against  each  other,  wearing  away  soil  and  strand  until,  when  the  ice  melted,  the  valleys  had  dis- 
appeared and  fjords  had  taken  their  place.  But  gigantic  rocks  and  peaks  which  had  resisted  the 
friction  of  the  glaciers  remained,  either  on  the  edge  of  the  fjord,  or  as  islands  off  the  coast.  There 
are  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  of  these  islands,  some  of  them  over  three  thousand  feet 
in  height,  and  their  grotesque  shapes  are  not  the  least  attractive  feature  in  the  weird  panorama  of 
broken  sea  and  land.  The  most  famous  is  the  Torghatten,  about  five  miles  to  the  north  of  the 
Bindalsfjord,  in  Nordland.  Its  shape,  as  indicated  by  its  name,  is  that  of  a  Norvegian  market-hat 
floating  on  the  water,  and  attaining  a  height  of  over  eight  hundred  feet.  What  gives  it  its  unique 
character,  however,  is  a  natural  tunnel  bored  through  it  during  the  Glacial  period.  As  this  tunnel 
is  four  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  some  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  extent  to  which  the 
soil  was  worn  away.  In  reality  this  strange  hole  is  a  perpendicular  giant's  cauldron  in  which 
stone,  ice  and  water  churned  and  swirled  until  they  had  perforated  the  rock  in  their  frantic  Arctic 


Europe 


709 


struggle,  and  gained  an  outlet  for  the  impatient  masses  behind.  So  perfectly  did  they  carve  the 
tunnel  that  in  parts  it  almost  looks  as  though  it  had  been  chiselled  by  the  hand  of  man.  On  the 
eastern  side  it  is  only  sixty-four  feet  high,  increasing  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  on  the  western.  Its 
length  is  over  five  hundred  feet,  the  walls  are  almost  perpendicular,  and  the  floor  covered  with  the 
debris  of  ages  and  with  remains  of  the  last  struggle,  just  before  wave  and  ice  retreated.  Gazing 
through  it  from  the  western  extremity,  the  spectator  is  rewarded  with  a  peculiarly  framed 
panorama  of  blue  water,  rugged  coast  and  jagged  islands,  with  perhaps  a  quaint  Norvegian  fishing- 
smack  pursuing  its  way  silently  southwards. 

Roman  Aqaedad  at  Segovia,  Spain. — Among  the  many  Roman  remains  which  dot  the  Iberian 
Peninsula  few  can  compare,  as  regards  colossal  proportions,  beauty  and  perfection,  with  the  gigantic 
aqueduct,  subject  of  our  photograph.  It  probably  dates  from  the  first  century  after  the  birth  of 
Christ,  or,  to  be  more  precise,  from  the  reign  of  the  Spanish-Roman  Emperor  Trajan,  who  bestowed 
architectural  splendours  on  his  native  land  with  a  lavish  hand.  On  Spain's  return  to  a  state  of 
semi-barbarism  following  on  the  Gothic  invasion  and  the  destruction  of  the  Roman  Empire,  the 
gigantic  aqueduct  was  partly  ruined,  and  before  a  hundred  years  had  passed,  the  ignorant 
populace  were  wondering  how  or  why  those  huge  arches  spanning  the  valley  had  ever  been  erected, 
and,  unable  to  find  a  satisfactory  answer,  promptly  attributed  its  construction  to  Satan,  and  called 
it  the  "  Bridge  of  the  Devil  " — a  name  by  which  it  is  popularly  known  to  this  day.  In  part  recon- 
structed and  wholly  repaired,  this,  one  of  the  finest  of  the  many  Roman  aqueducts  to  be  found 

scattered  throughout  the  Old  World,      

carries  the  water  of  Riofrio  from  a 
distance  of  ten  miles  to  the  city  which 
was  at  one  time  capital  of  the  Castiles. 
In  Trajan's  days  it  was  a  mere  plea- 
sure resort  during  the  summer  months, 
the  mountains  and  forests  surrounding 
it  being  filled  with  every  species  of 
wild  animal  which  offered  the  hunts- 
man exceptional  sport.  The  change 
has  not  been  so  great  since  those  days  : 
Segovia  is  no  longer  the  pleasaunce  of 
kings,  but  La  Granja,  only  a  few  miles 
away,  in  the  Sierra,  is  King  Alfonso's 
favourite  spring  and  autumn  residence, 
while  at  Riofrio  he  possesses  a  fine 
shooting  lodge. 

The  aqueduct,  as  stated,  is  in  per- 
fect condition.  It  is  built  of  big  blocks 
of  a  hard  stone  resembling  granite, 
naturally  dark  white,  but  turning  to 
deep  grey  when  exposed  to  the  air  for 
any  length  of  time.  Neither  rivets 
nor  mortar  have  been  used  in  tlie 
construction — a  peculiarity  which  en- 
hances the  merit  of  the  arches.  Of 
these  there  are  two  tiers,  the  second,  phoioby-] 
and,  smaller,  one  being  superimposed  the   roman 

on  the  lower,  the  result  being  a  monu-  ^'"="  /''f  '^i""'""^-"  °' 

^  memory    or    the    populace,    this 

ment  of  picturesque  gracefulness.    Tlie      agency  of  the  Devii,  and  it  is 


[jV.  F.  Edaards. 
AQUEDUCT.    SEGOVIA. 
its    building    had    been  obliterated  from  the 
aqueduct    was    universally    ascribed    to    the 
itill  Itnown  as  "  The  Devil's   Bridge." 


yio 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


part  of  the  stone  waterway  spanning  the  valley  is  eight  hundred  and  forty-seven  yards  long,  and 
the  greatest  height  attained  is  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet.  There  are  a  hundred  and  nine 
arches,  and  half-way  across  the  valley,  between  the  upper  and  lower  tiers,  a  cornice  nine  feet  long 
used  to  bear  a  Roman  inscription,  which  has,  however,  been  effaced. 

Earth-Pillars  in  the  Alps, — There  is  nothing  either  strange  or  inexplicable  about  the  formation 
of  earth-pillars,  or  pyramids,  as  they  are  indifferently  called.     Granite  rocks  falling  from  some  cliff 

on  a  clay  soil,  preferably  moraine, 
become  embedded  when  rain  softens 
the  surface  of  their  new  resting- 
place.  Successive  storms  wash  away 
the  clay  surrounding  the  base  of 
the  rocks,  leaving  a  cone-shaped  stalk 
of  dry  soil  on  which  they  repose. 
This  stalk  grows  in  height  as  the 
clay  around  it  is  carried  away  by 
successive  downpours,  and,  as  long  as 
it  has  Nature's  "  umbrella  "  to  keep 
it  dry,  there  is  little  fear  of  it  break- 
ing. The  rain  beats  down  on  its 
sides  to  within  a  foot  of  the  summit, 
and  gradually  it  becomes  more  and 
more  slender,  ever  changing  its  out- 
ward appearance  as  new  channels  and 
grooves  are  gnawed  in  its  flanks  by 
the  running  streams  of  rain-water. 
Finally,  the  day  arrives  when  the 
granite  "  cap  "  loses  its  balance,  breaks 
the  slender  stem  and  topples  over 
into  a  ravine.  From  that  moment 
the  pillar  is  doomed,  for  without  the 
volcanic  top  to  protect  it  against  the 
inclemency  of  the  clouds  it  speedily 
withers  away. 

The  Alps  contain  many  of  these 
earth-pillars  in  the  making.  They  are 
to  be  met  with,  perhaps  a  foot  or  a 
half  in  height,  in  nearly  every  glacial 
moraine.  Their  eventual  size  in  ages 
to  come  will  depend  upon  the  depth 
of  the  clay  soil,  as  also  upon  the 
stability  of  the  granite  cap.  Owing, 
however,  to  the  shallowness  of  the  clay  bed,  these  Alpine  pillars  will  never  rival  in  size  their  American 
cousins  in  the  gigantic  canyons  of  the  West.  In  all  other  respects  they  will,  however,  be 
similar,  and  the  Alps  contain  to-day  many  finished  specimens  of  these  geological  phenomena, 
the  most  noted  being  those  which  stand  in  Switzerland,  in  the  Canton  of  Valais.  Others  are  in 
Botzen,  Tyrol,  while  Savoy  can  boast  of  its  pyramides  des  fees  at  Saint-Gervais.  Our  illustrations 
show  the  earth-pillars  in  the  Val  d'Herens  (Valais),  remarkable  specially  in  one  particular,  namely, 
in  the  way  they  form  a  battlemented  and  turreted  wall  through  which  a  tunnel  has  had  to  be  hewn 
in  order  to  give  passage  to  the  road   leading    from  Vex  in  the  Rhone  valley  to  AroUa  at  the  foot 


Photo  by'\ 


[a.  It.  Ilnllnme. 
THE    EARTH    PYRAMIDS    OF    ENSEIGNE. 
In    the    Val   d'Herens    o(    Valais    these    remarkable   structures    arc  to    be 
found.     They  are    earth    ridges  protected    from    demolition    by    their  curious 
stone    caps,    probably    placed    thus    by    a    moraine. 


Photo  by}  llkim/d  McUish. 

THE    EARTH    PYRAMIDS    OF    ENSEIGNE. 
A   view    of    the    Earth    Pyramids    showing    the    tunnel    constructed    through    their    battlemented    walls    in    order    lo    make   a 

passage    for    the    road    leading    from    Vex    to    Arolla. 


712 


The   Wonders   of   the  World 


of  its  glacier.  Unfortunately, 
the  majority  of  these  pyra- 
mids, having  lost  their  granite 
caps,  are  inevitably  doomed, 
diminishing  visibly  year  by 
year.  At  last  the  tunnel  with 
its  walls  of  solid  rock  will 
stand  alone,  indicating  where 
the  pillars  once  reared  their 
proud  heads  on  the  slopes  of 
a  mountain,  the  Pic  d'Arzinal 
behind  and  the  Kerens  river 
hundreds  of  feet  below  them, 
whilst  opposite,  they  looked 
upon  the  fields,  orchards  and 
cottages  of  the  Swiss  peasantry 
dotting  a  hillside  topped  by 
the  distant  Bees  de  Bosson. 

Isthmus  of  Corinth. — ^The 
Romans  were  the  first  to  at- 
tempt the  construction  of  a 
canal  across  the  four-mile  wide 
Isthmus  of  Corinth,  thereby 
bringing  Peireus  (or  Athens) 
two  hundred  miles  nearer  the 
Adriatic,  and  doing  away  with 
tlie  slide,  or  glissoir,  for  ships 
used  by  the  Greeks.  The 
scheme  was  never  carried  out, 
however,  until,  in  1881,  a  company  was  formed  for  this  purpose,  and  completed  its  mission 
twelve  years  later.  Owing  to  the  insignificant  width  and  depth  of  the  canal,  seventy  feet 
by  twenty-six,  and  to  its  dangerous  currents,  the  artificial  waterway  is  generally  used  by 
native  craft  only,  and  a  new  company  has  now  been  formed  to  widen  and  deepen  the  canal,  and 
to  erect  breakwaters  at  each  extremity.  One  mile  from  the  eastern  end  a  railroad  bridge  used  by 
the  Athens-Corinth  line  spans  the  canal,  and  many  ferry-boats  cross  it  at  various  points.  Running 
parallel  with  it,  but  at  some  distance  to  the  south,  are  the  remains  of  the  old,  fortified  Isthmian 
wall,  and,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  the  south  of  the  eastern  extremity,  lie  the  few  ruins  of  the 
Precinct  of  Poseidon,  with  traces  of  a  temple  to  the  Sea-God,  and  of  the  stadium  where  the 
Isthmian  games,  second  only  to  the  Olympian,  were  held  every  two  years  by  the  Athenians. 

TTie  Giralda. — "  Who  has  not  seen  Seville,  has  never  seen  a  marvel,"  runs  a  Spanish  proverb, 
and  of  the  many  marvels  possessed  by  the  Queen  City  of  Andalusia,  none  is  more  perfect  than  the 
Moorish  tower  which  serves  as  steeple  to  the  Gothic  cathedral.  When  Seville  was  under  Moorish 
sway,  a  mosque  stood  where  the  ogival  pile  now  stands,  and  the  muezzin  called  the  Faithful  to 
prayer  from  the  two-hundred-and-fifty-foot-high  minaret.  But  when  the  mosque  was  torn 
down  in  order  that  the  Spanish  Church  might  build  a  cathedral  "  second  to  none,  either  in  size 
or  grandeur,"  a  superstructure  was  added  to  the  campanile,  and  this  was  surmounted  by  a 
vane,  whence  the  name  of  the  whole  edifice  from  the  Spanish  gtrar,  to  turn.  The  total  height, 
with  the  second  body,  and  the  vane  in  the  form  of  a  gilded  statue  of  Faith,  is  three  hundred  and 
sixty-four  feet. 


From  stereo  copyru/ht  by'}  [JJ.  ('.  White  Co. 

THE    ISTHMUS    OF    CORINTH. 
The    Romans    were    the    first    people    to    suggest    and    commence  the  making    of  the 
canal,  a  work    which    was    not    completed    till    1893,    and    even    now    much    labour    has 
still    to    be    expended    before    it    will    be    completely    navigable. 


Europe 


713 


A  close  examination  of  the  proportions  and  decorations  of  the  Giralda,  by  many  considered  to 
be  the  most  beautiful  tower  in  the  world,  cannot  but  fail  to  command  the  admiration  of  the  most 
casual  visitor.  It  dates  from  the  end  of  the  twelfth  century  and  belongs  to  what  is  popularly 
known  as  the  second  period  of  Hispano-Moorish  art,  the  first  attaining  its  supremacy  in  Toledo 
and  Cordova,  and  the  third  in  the  Alhambra.  The  base  of  the  tower  is  a  square,  each  side 
measuring  fifty  feet ;  the  thickness  of  the  walls  at  the  base  is  nine  feet,  and  increases  gradually  as 
the  structure  rises.  In  the  centre  of  the  tower  a  solid  shaft  or  axle  reaches  from  the  base  to  the 
summit,  thus  adding  to  the  stability,  and  around  it  a  broad  ramp  climbs  spirally  to  the  upper 
platform.  Thus  stairs  are  avoided,  and  it  would  be  possible  to  ride  up  the  tower  on  horseback. 
On  tlie  other  hand,  the  result  has  been  to  place  the  windows  at  different  altitudes  in  each  of  the 
four  sides,  but  this  obvious  inconsistency  has  been  disguised  by  the  wealth  of  ever-changing 
ornamentation  on  the  exterior  surface.  This  begins  as  soon  as  brick  is  used  as  the  constructive 
element  (the  foundations  to  a  height  of  about  forty  feet  being  in  stone),  and  takes  the  shape  of 
geometrical  designs  in  basso,  called  by  the  Arabs  ajaracas.  These  designs  are  among  the  most 
wonderful  that  the  Moors  have  left 
us  in  Spain,  being  a  most  studied 
blending  of  the  curved  with  the 
straight  line,  in  the  form  of  ever- 
changing  and  varying  motives.  The 
windows  are  subject  to  the  same  rich 
fantasy  of  its  creators :  here  they 
are  in  the  likeness  of  those  delicate 
ajimeces  for  which 
noted,  there  they 
the  characteristic 
whereas  anon  they 


the    Alhambra   is 

are    crowned    by 

liorseshoe     arch, 

remind  us  of  the 


ogival  arches  of  the  Gothic  school. 
According  to  tradition,  the  original 
minaret  was  crowned  by  an  octagonal 
body,  across  the  top  of  which  was 
stretched  a  gigantic  cross-bar  carrying 
four  golden  balls  which  shone  in  the 
sunshine  like  lamps,  and  were  to  be 
seen  from  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach.  Its  place  has,  however,  been 
taken  by  a  new  addition,  dating 
from  the  sixteentli  century,  and 
built  in  imitation  of  one  of  those 
biscuit-like  silver  Custodias  so  fre- 
quently to  be  found  in  Spanish 
cathedrals.  Happily,  the  superstruc- 
ture harmonizes  with  the  rest  of 
the  tower,  that  is,  if  exception  be 
made  to  the  vane,  which  would  be 
more  appropriate  on  the  Sacre  Coeur 
at  Montmartre  than  in  its  present 
position. 


Photo  6,y] 


This 

Seville. 

Giralda. 

Moorish 


ITh'  J'fioloehmm  Co.  Lid. 
THE    GIRALDA.    SEVILLE. 
Moorish    tower    serves    as    a    steeple    to    the    Gothic    Cathedral    of 
It     is    surmounted    with    a    vane    which    has    given    it    the    name 
and    is    the     Bncst    specimen    of    the    second    period    of    Hispano- 
art. 


714 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

By    CHARLES    WHITE. 

Athens. — Athens  stands  pre-eminent  among  the  mighty  cities  of  the  world ;  not  for  its  size, 
for  it  would  form  only  an  unimportant  division  in  some  of  the  mighty  townships  of  to-day; 
not  for  its  situation,  for  in  this,  again,  it  is  little  able  to  compete  with  the  great  modem 
harbours   which,    through   their   commanding   positions,    draw    the    commerce    of   the   world   to 

them.  Rather  its  fame  rests  upon  its 
ancient  glory,  for  here  was  the  birthplace 
of  the  civilization  which  reigns  supreme 
throughout  the  world  to-day.  Here  cul- 
ture was  nursed,  was  trained,  passed 
through  its  magnificent  adolescence,  and 
from  here  it  sent  forth  vigorous  shoots 
which  took  root  and  sprung  up  in  every 
corner  of  the  globe,  bequeathing  to  us  for 
our  wonderment  the  relics  of  that  culture's 
splendid  triumph.  So  it  is  that  to-day 
the  pilgrim  must  travel  far,  indeed,  before 
lie  can  find  objects  more  worthy  of  his 
veneration  or  more  sublime  in  their 
majestic  ruin  than  this  ancient  city  can 
show.  As  soon  as  Athens  is  reached,  the 
eye  immediately  seeks  out  her  crowning 
glory,  the  Acropohs  ;  nor  does  it  long 
wander  in  uncertainty,  for  the  splendid 
escarpment  of  blue-grey  limestone  rising 
precipitously  over  two  hundred  feet  above 
the  Attic  plain  is  a  landmark  that  cannot 
be  overlooked,  and  to  it  we  instinctively 
make  our  way.  It  is  indeed  right  that  we 
should,  for  the  whole  life  of  Athens  is 
represented  in  the  Acropolis.  This  was 
the  citadel  that  in  times  of  stress  became 
the  refuge  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town 
which  sprung  up  at  the  foot  of  the  rock. 
On  this  spot  the  ancient  kings  of  Athens  set 
up,  or  were  deprived  of,  their  power,  and 
later,  from  this  sacred  fortress  a  successful  stand  was  made  against  the  advancing  Persians.  It  is 
impossible  to  mistake  the  evidences  of  the  struggle  that  took  place  here  at  a  time  so  remote  that 
history  and  myth,  inseparably  intermingled,  fill  up  the  pages  of  the  "  ancient  tale."  But  we  can, 
if  we  will,  draw  our  own  conclusions  from  what  is  before  us.  The  finest  remains  of  the  earliest 
great  walls  are  on  the  north  and  the  south-east  of  the  Acropolis,  although  a  mighty  fragment  can 
be  seen  beneath  the  bastion  of  Nike  Apteros.  These  walls  are  formed  of  immense  blocks  of  stone 
piled  one  on  the  top  of  another  and  then  fitted  together  by  the  insertion  of  small  pieces  to 
act   as  wedges,  and  contemporary  with  them  are  the  rock-hewn  stairways  situated  to  the  [north, 


Fhoto  by  permissioti  o/] 

THE    WALLS    OF    THE    ACROPOLIS. 


[Colonel  Mifford. 
ATHENS. 


Five  periods  of  construction  can  be  identified  in  this  view  of  the 
famous  walls— the  Cyclopean  wall,  the  wall  of  Cimon.  the  wall  of 
Theniistocles,    then    FranUish    building,    and    finally    Turkish. 


t" 


7i6 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Photo  by]  [L.  MeinertzJiaffm. 

THE    PARTHENON.    ATHENS. 

The  ruins  of  this  Temple,  erected  to  the  honour  of  Athena  Promache,  stand  desolate  amongst  the  debris  of  what 
was  once  the  glory  of  Athens,  Yet  the  situation  adds  a  touch  of  tragic  splendour  to  this  most  perfect  monument  of  the 
Golden    Age    of    Greece. 

the  more  central  of  which  is  supposed  to  have  given  access  to  the  Persians.  These  were  the 
works  of  a  people  whom  we  do  not  know,  not  even  by  fable.  But  we  can  also  see  traces  of 
an  occupation  of  the  city  by  another  race,  existing  here  long  before  the  Greeks,  who  were  to 
make  Athens  one  of  the  greatest  forces  in  the  world,  took  possession  of  the  city.  They  have 
left  the  mark  of  their  occupation  in  the  mighty  Pelargicon,  a  double  band  of  fortifications 
encircling  the  whole  of  the  Acropolis  and  built,  not  on  the  rocky  pre-eminence,  but  on 
the  plain  beneath ;  the  inner  line,  certainly,  hugging  the  circuit  of  the  citadel.  That  is  all 
we  know  of  the  Pelasgi ;  they  were  swept  away,  and  the  vigorous  tribe  of  the  Greeks  took 
their  city  and  made  use  of  their  bulwarks.  But  we  are  now  on  the  borders  of  history  ;  we 
can  see  the  little  community  growing ;  from  a  horde  of  barbarians  they  are  becoming  a  civilized 
state.  Shadowy  kings  make  tlieir  appearance,  and  give  place  to  the  nine  archons  who  ruled  the 
city.  The  title  of  tliese  men  is  made  famous  by  the  great  Solon,  who  was  arclion  eponymous, 
and  perhaps  the  greatest  law-giver  the  world  has  ever  seen.  As  an  old  man,  however,  he  saw 
the  system  that  he  had  taken  so  much  pains  to  perfect  swept  away  by  a  reaction,  and  Pisistratus 
take  possession  of  the  rock  fortress  that  was  the  key  of  Athens  and  assume  the  jurisdiction  of  a 
"  tyrant."  The  Acropolis  underwent  a  splendid  transformation  during  the  hfetime  of  Pisistratus 
and  his  sons.  Palaces  and  sumptuous  buildings  were  reared  on  the  lofty  site.  A  marble  temple — 
the  old  Hekatonpedon — was  reared  to  the  honour  of  Athena,  and  down  in  the  city  beneath  the  temple 
of  Olympian  Zeus  was  commenced.  But  the  reigns  of  the  tyrant  and  his  sons  did  not  last  long  ; 
and  in  500  b.c.  democratic  government  was  re-established  by  Kleisthenes,  the  Acropolis  was 
deprived  of  its  recently-acquired  kingly  pomp  and  became  once  more  the  citadel  and  sanctuary  of 
the  rapidly-increasing  community.  The  wars  with  the  Persians,  however,  were  now  at  hand,  when 
Athenians  were  called  to  awaken  the  patriotism  of  the  Grecian  states  and,  under  Miltiades,  to 
lead  the  resistance  against  an  overwhelming  enemy,  and  although  the  battle  of  Marathon  was  won, 
they  had  to  pay  dearly  for  their  resistance.     Their  fortress  was  taken  by  the  enemy,  the  sanctuaries 


Europe 


717 


were  burnt  and  the  temples  and  bulwarks  cast  to  the  ground.  Had  not  Themistocles  risen  to  lead 
his  countrymen  and  to  nourish  that  patriotism  which  had  already  cost  them  so  dear,  the  great 
city  whose  ruins  we  venerate  to-day  could  never  have  been  built.  But  his  devotion  and  genius 
were  amply  rewarded,  for  after  the  battle  of  Platsea,  in  b.c.  479,  Persia  found  herself  obliged  to  with- 
draw the  borders  of  her  kingdom  behind  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates  and  Greece  was  left  free  to 
interest  herself  in  her  own  aggrandizement  and  rebuild  her  ruined  cities.  Foremost  amongst  these 
cities  was  Athens,  and  immediately  the  danger  of  defeat  was  at  an  end  the  Athenians  repaired  their 
citadel.  Their  women  and  children,  it  is  said,  were  employed  in  the  work,  and,  indeed,  every  help 
was  needed  ;  there  were  walls  and  bastions  to  be  built  up  again,  statues  carried  off  by  the  Persians 
to  be  replaced- — as,  for  instance,  those  of  Harmodius  and  Aristogeiton — and  the  sanctuaries  of  the 
gods  to  be  re-erected  on  a  scale  of  greater  splendour  than  before.  Themistocles  himself  directed  the 
rebuilding  of  the  walls,  and  the  remnant  of  these  splendid  structures  can  best  be  seen  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Acropolis,  the  curious  part  of  their  workmanship  being  the  diversity  of  material  used  in 
their  construction.  All  the  fragments  of  the  old  wall,  of  statues  and  votive  tablets,  were  used  up 
again,  and — most  interesting  of  all — there  are  visible  to-day  the  drums  of  the  pillars  of  the  ancient 
Parthenon,  somewhat  cliipped  to  accommodate  them  to  their  new  position.  These  can  easily  be  dis. 
tinguished,  for  they  form  a  continuous  row  in  the  northern  foundations  of  the  walls  of  Themistocles. 
But  the  genius  of  the  great  archon  found  even  greater  work  than  was  comprised  in  the  fortifications 
of  the  Acropolis.  He  realized  that  Athens,  in  order  to  increase  her  prosperity  and  wealth,  must 
have  safe  harbourage  for  the  commerce  which  was  the  source  of  that  wealth.  The  Piraeus  alone 
afforded  a  fitting  harbour  for  vessels,  and  he  therefore  conceived  the  idea  of  securing  this  port 
to  Athens  by  a  series  of  fortifications,  which  he  immediately  set  about  erecting.  Built  of  finely 
compacted  blocks,  they  were  about  ten  feet  thick  and  upwards  of  sixty  feet  in  height,  protected 
further  by  flanking  towers.  These  fortifications  of  the  Piraeus  were  joined  to  the  Acropolis  by  a 
series  of  long  walls.  It  is  not  certain  whether  there  were  two  or  three  parallel  fortifications,  but, 
be  that  as  it  may,  it  was  a  magnificent  scheme,  worked  out  with  a  skill  that  has  made  it  the  marvel 


Photo  by] 

IHE     ERECIHEON.     ATHENS. 
A    view    showing    the    famous    Portico    of    the    Maidens,    so    called    from    the    colossal    caryatides    which    support   the 

flat    stone    roof. 


4- 

IThe  fhotochrom  Co.  Lid. 


7i8 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


of  succeeding  ages ;  though'  few  are  the  remnants  to  be  seen  to-day.  Athens  was  now  at  the 
summit  of  her  glory  and  to  the  fifth  century  before  Christ  belong  the  chief  of  her  glorious  monu- 
ments, and  to  Themistocles,  Cimon  and  Pericles  belongs  the  honour  of  ennobling  Athens  with  her 
finest  structures.  Amongst  these  stand  the  Parthenon,  the  Erectheon,  the  Propylaea  and  the 
temple  of  Nike  Apteros. 

Before  describing  fully  the  Parthenon,  it  is  necessary  to  consider  for  a  minute  the  structure 
of  a  Greek  temple.  Suppose  we  enter  from  the  east,  we  shall  then  ascend  some  steps,  the  top  of 
which  is  termed  the  stylobate.  From  the  stylobate  rise  up  the  columns  that  support  an 
architrave,  then  an  entablature,  and  finally  a  pediment.  We  will  walk  through  these  columns 
directly  westward,  and  in  a  pace  or  two  we  reach  a  second  row  of  columns,  or  pilasters,  that  support 
the  main  building.  Passing  through  these,  we  shall  be  in  the  pronaos,  or  vestibule,  of  the  temple. 
Another  door  in  the  west  side  leads  us  to  the  naos,  the  most  important  part  of  the  temple,  for  here 
stood  the  statue  of  the  god  to  whom  the  temple  was  dedicated.     This  and  the  pronaos  were  often 


Photo.by'i  [I'/ie  J'holochrom  Co.  Lid. 

THE    THEATRE    OF    DIONYSOS.    ATHENS. 

Here  were  enacted   the  masterpieces  of  the  Greek    Drama.     The  stage  and    orchestra  are  of  Roman  worlcmanship,  but  the 
auditorium  is  Greek.     The  front  row  of  marble  seats  was  reserved  for  the   Priests  of   Dionysos. 

spoken  of  under  the  collective  name  of  the  cella.  From  the  naos  entrance  is  gained  to  another 
chamber,  the  opisthodomos,  which  was  a  rectangular  chamber  and  was  considered  the  most 
sacred  part  of  the  building.  Only  those  devoted  to  the  service  of  the  deity  were  allowed  to  enter 
there,  and  often  it  was  the  scene  of  rites  forbidden  to  be  participated  in  by  the  common  people, 
who  waited  in  the  cella  beyond.  The  sacredness  of  the  place  was  put  to  good  use  by  those 
most  interested  in  the  temple,  for  here  was  stored  the  wealth  of  accumulated  votive  offerings  which 
poured  in  from  the  special  suppliants  at  each  shrine.  In  fact,  just  as  at  Delphi  the  hallowed  shrine 
of  the  oracle  was  used  as  a  safe  deposit  for  the  wealth  of  private  persons,  so,  too,  the  opisthodomos 
of  a  Grecian  temple  became  a  state  storehouse  that  even  the  most  rapacious  of  robbers  dared  not 
violate.  Finally,  the  opisthodomos  led  out  through  a  central  door  to  the  first  row  of  columns 
that  supported  the  roof,  and  so  to  those  that  were  ranged  at  the  edge  of  the  stylobate,  from  whence 
steps  descended  to  the  pathway. 

The  Parthenon  is  the  most  magnificent  monument  of  the  Golden  Age  of  Greece,  that  is  the 
period  of  the  Archonate  of  Pericles.  Already  two  temples  to  Athena  had  risen  and  fallen  on  the 
site  of  the  present  ruins ;  but  the  columns  we  now  see  were  erected  after  the  Persian  war, 
when  the  invading  hosts  had  been  sent  back  and  victory  shone  on  the  aegis  of  Athena  Promache. 


720 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


It  was  natural  that  the  proudest  temple 
of  all  Greece  should  be  dedicated  to  the 
goddess  who  had  caused  her  foes  to  be 
driven  back.  So  Iktinos  and  Kallikrates 
drew  out  the  plans  for  the  Parthenon, 
while  Phidias  was  busied  with  the  designs 
and  himself  sculptured  some  of  the  orna- 
ments. So  great  was  the  zeal  displayed 
in  the  building,  that  this  magnificent 
structure  of  Pentelic  marble,  begun  in 
the  year  b.c.  447,  was  dedicated  at  the 
Panathenaic  Festival  of  B.C.  438  to  the 
worship  of  the  Maiden  Goddess  by  the 
erection  of  her  statue  in  the  cella.  From 
the  data  of  ancient  writers  and  the 
remnants  of  the  edifice  that  are  before 
us  to-day  we  can  decide  the  exact  form 
of  tlie  building.  Raised  on  a  substructure 
(which  was  necessitated  by  the  unequal 
surface  of  the  ground  it  covered)  was  the 
marble  base,  rising  in  three  steps.  On 
the  topmost  stood  the  outer  framework 
of  columns,  showing  eight  at  each  end 
and  seventeen  on  each  side.  The  general 
height  of  the  columns  is  thirty-four  and 
a  half  feet,  and  they  are  composed  of 
twelve  sections,  or  drums,  of  marble. 
The  flutings,  which  are  a  marked  feature 
of  the  Doric  order,  are  twenty  in 
number.  These  columns  are  one  of  the 
most  striking  features  of  tlie  Parthenon, 
and  their  suggestion  of  strength  and  grace, 
combined  with  the  translucency  that  age 
imparts,  and  which  gives  an  added  glory  to  all  marbles,  creates  an  impression  of  a  ruin,  not 
merely  of  a  Greek  temple,  but  rather  of  a  colonnade  built  by  the  gods  themselves.  Yet  this  most 
perfect  specimen  of  Doric  architecture  can  boast  of  other  splendours  that  have  not  their  like  through- 
out the  whole  world.  There  is  the  wonderful  entablature,  resting,  with  the  architrave,  upon  the 
forty-eight  columns  to  which  reference  has  just  been  made,  and  the  magnificent  pediment  forming 
the  triangular  stonework  immediately  above  the  architrave  at  the  east  and  west  of  the  building, 
whereof  the  remnants  of  archaic  Greek  statuary  which  ornamented  the  tympanum,  or  hollow  part 
of  the  pediment,  are  among  the  most  famous  productions  of  the  archaic  period  of  Greek  sculpture. 
As  far  as  we  can  tell,  the  scene  carved  on  the  west  front  is  that  of  the  victorious  Athena,  who  has 
put  to  rout  with  her  aegis  the  advancing  chariot  of  Poseidon  ;  while  on  the  east  Athena  is  born, 
according  to  the  legend,  fully  armed,  from  the  brain  of  Zeus,  with  the  attendant  deities  of  good  omen, 
although  the  carving  is  so  worn  that  the  exact  types  represented  are  uncertain.  Probably  both 
pieces  of  sculpture  had  a  meaning  relating  to  the  mythical  foundation  and  historical  growth  of 
Athens.  It  can  easily  be  credited  that  Poseidon  typifies  the  Persians,  who  so  lately  had  been 
defeated,  while  in  the  goddess  the  Grecian  state  was  symbolized. 

Mention  must  be  made  also  of  the  zoophoros,   or  frieze,    adorning  the  exterior  wall  of  the 


From  stei-eo  coptji-Uiht  by]  [//.  ('.  White  Co. 

THE    TOWER    OF    THE    WINDS.    ATHENS. 

A  private  citizen,  Andronicus  Kyrrhestes.  built    this    marble  tower 

for  the  accotnmodation  of  a  weather-vane,  a  water-clock,  and  sundials. 

The  eight  sides  of   the    building    are   turned    towards    the    chief    points 

of  the  compass. 


Europe 


721 


cella  at  a  height  of  thirty-nine  feet  from  the  pavement.  The  cella  was  the  large  inner  chamber, 
or  temple  proper,  to  which  the  marble  columns  formed  an  exterior  colonnade,  and  the  frieze  was, 
therefore,  under  the  shadow  of  the  roof  of  the  temple,  with  all  the  light  falling  on  it  from  below. 
This  the  Greeks  realized,  and  carved  the  frieze  accordingly  in  low  relief,  so  that  there  should  be 
no  great  dark  shadows  which  would  disfigure  the  ornament ;  all  should  be  touched  with  the  subdued 
hght  that  reached  these  most  exquisite  bas-rehefs.  On  it  were  represented  scenes  from  the  festivals 
held  in  honour  of  the  goddess.  What  was  the  complete  effect  we  cannot  now  tell ;  but  from  what 
remains  to  us  we  can  judge  of  the  magnificence  of  these  sculptures;  and  when  one  realizes  that 
the  whole  was  in  rare  white  Pentelic  marble,  with  the  carvings  brought  out  into  relief  on  back- 
grounds of  blue  and  red,  while  here  and  there  on  parts  of  the  building  hung  decorative  wreaths  of 
beaten  gold :  wlien  one  realizes,  too,  the  power  of  the  Grecian  sun  falhng  on  the  grey  AcropoUs 
with  its  snowy  crown,  the  mental  eye  is  dazzled  with  the  conception — as,  indeed,  all  men  who 
have  thought  upon  it  have  been  dazzled ;  so  that  the  opinion  of  the  civilized  has  united  in 
declaring  that  this  was  truly  a  wonder  of  the  world. 

Had  she  possessed  the  Parthenon  alone,  Athens  would  have  been  a  famous  city  ;  but  she  is  thrice 
favoured  among  cities,  for  she  has  other  treasures.  Not  a  stone's-throw  to  the  north  of  the  Parthenon 
is  the  Erectheon,  or  House  of  Erectheus,  which  was  perhaps  even  more  sacred  than  the  grander 
structure  ;  for  sheltered  in  the  cella  was  the  humble  httle  wooden  image  of  Athena  Pohas,  or  the 
guardian  Athena,  and  here,  too,  was  the  sacred  spring  of  salt  water  that  gushed  forth  when  Poseidon 
struck  the  rock  with  his  trident ;  nor  must  we  forget  Athena's  sacred  myrtle,  which,  when  burnt  down 
by  the  Persians,  shot  forth  a  great  branch  an  ell  long  on  the  succeeding  day,  thereby  encouraging 
the  disheartened  Athenians  to  fresh  efforts,  which  ultimately  were  crowned  with  victory.  It  was 
fitting,  therefore,  that  a  splendid  memorial  should  mark  this  sacred  spot,  and  so  on  the  site  of  the  old 
temple,  which  was  destroyed  in  B.C.  480,  the  most  perfect  Ionic  temple  was  erected.    So  anxious  were 


,  .aE*«sfel'_«'  ^;^i^4LuJ^  '^Q^^<s»; 


Photo  iy\ 


\The  FlulochiOM  Co.  Ltd. 


THE    THESEUM.    ATHENS. 


This  is  the  most  complete  GreeU  temple  now  standing,  and  althoush   not  so  elaborate  as  the   Parthenon  or  so  ornamented 
as   the   Erectheon,  its  colossal  proportions  make  it  a  notable  monument  of   Ancient  Athens. 

47 


722 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


the  Greeks  to  consecrate  the  spot  with  a  memorial  to  the  gods,  that  immediately  after  the  Peace 
of  Nikias  was  made,  the  building  was  commenced  ;  but  the  Peloponnesian  War  suspended  the 
work,  so  that  it  was  not  completed  till  B.C.  407.  Although  the  appurtenances  of  the  temple  were 
Ionic,  the  plan  did  not  take  the  prescribed  form,  for  instead  of  a  portico  at  the  west  end,  there  were 
two  square  wings,  which  formed  a  transept,  and  which  make  the  building  unique.  The  most  famous 
is  the  one  on  the  southern  side — the  Portico  of  the  Maidens — so-called  after  the  six  caryatides  stand- 
ing on  a  parapet  and  supporting  the  entablature.  On  their  heads  they  carry  baskets  which  are 
ingeniously  contrived  to  form  capitals.  The  roof  was  fiat,  for  three  of  the  four  stone  slabs  that 
composed  it  are  still  in  situ.  This  portico  is  a  monument  of  supreme  art,  giving  expression  to  the 
beauty  of  the  human  form  and  the  nobihty  of  conception  to  which  the  human  mind  can,  if  it  will, 
attain.     Near  here,  to  the  north  of  the  north  "porch,  has  been  discovered  a  very  ancient  staircase 


Photo  by] 


[The  I'hotochrom  Co.  Ltd. 


THE    TEMPLE    OF    OLYMPIAN    ZEUS,    ATHENS. 


Thi 


enormous     temple    was    erected    by     the     Emperor    Hadrian.     Only     fifteen    of    the    colossal     Corinthian     pillars    arc 
now    standing.     The    central    of    the    three    foremost    columns    was    blown    down    in    a    gale    in    1852. 


cut  in  the  living  rock,  by  which  the  Persians  are  supposed  to  have  entered  the  Acropolis.     It  was 
also  connected  with  the  secret  rites  on  the  sacred  maidens  attached  to  the  Erectheon. 

The  Propylaea  is  the  last  of  the  great  monuments  of  the  Acropolis  ;  it  was  the  grand  and  state 
entrance  to  the  rocky  height.  It  is  the  most  important  secular  work  of  ancient  Athens,  and  consisted 
of  a  central  gateway  and  two  wings,  erected  by  the  architect  Muciskles.  Entering  through  the 
western  portico,  we  ascend  three  mighty  steps  ;  we  pass  through  the  midst  of  a  line  of  six  Doric 
columns,  then  through  a  corridor  bordered  with  columns — or,  rather,  there  should  be  the  corridor, 
but  the  six  Ionic  pillars  of  which  it  was  composed  have  fallen,  and  only  their  position  can  be  traced. 
We  now  reach  the  Propylaea  proper,  which  is  of  solidly  constructed  masonry,  with  five  gateways 
that  at  one  time  had  solid  bronze  doors,  and  continuing,  we  come  to  the  western  portico,  which, 
like  the  eastern,  is  adorned  with  six  Doric  columns.  Upon  two  of  these  the  stone  that  formed  the 
architrave  still  rests,  and  its  enormous  size,  as  well  as  the  magnitude  of  the  broken  remains  scattered 
all  around,  demonstrate  the  perfection  of  the  engineering  which  could  swing  these  monoliths  to  their 
place  and  build  up  the  magnificent  structure.     Space  forbids  a  detailed  account  of  this  "  brilliant 


.,'•41     ' 


ai'fte-;^"-* 


724 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


jewel  on  the  front  of  the  con- 
spicuous rocky  coronet  of  the 
Athenian  AcropoHs,"  but  it  is 
well  to  point  out  that  there 
were  two  porticos  on  the  north 
and  south  sides  of  the  principal 
western  portico.  The  northern 
of  these  was  dedicated  for 
the  display  of  votive  offerings. 
The  Propylffia  was  also  covered 
in  with  a  magnificent  roof 
wliich  till  1650  was  intact,  but 
was  then  destroyed  by  a 
Turkish  cannonade.  It  was 
very  elaborately  moulded,  and 
the  sunken  panels,  or  metopes, 
were  adorned  with  gold  stars 
on  a  blue  ground. 

We  cannot  leave  the  Acro- 
))olis  without  mention  of  the 
charming  little  temple  to 
Athena  the  Victorious,  mis- 
called the  Wingless  Victory,  or 
Nike  Apteros.  It  is  built  out 
on  a  bastion,  erected  during 
the  constructive  works  of 
Cimon,  and  is  particularly 
famous  for  its  frieze,  which 
has  for  the  most  part  been 
preserved,  although  much 
damaged  by  the  vicissitudes 
of  war  and  time,  while  four  panels  have  found  a  resting-place  in  the  British  Museum,  brought 
thither  by  Lord  Elgin,  and  only  terra-cotta  duplicates  supply  the  gaps  caused  by  the  abduction  of 
the  originals.  As  all  the  heads  of  the  noble  figures  are  wanting  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish 
the  characters  of  the  frieze,  but  undoubtedly  the  subject  of  the  sculpture  is  a  glorification  of  the 
victorious  goddess,  with  sacrificial  thanksgivings  in  her  honour.  Shattered  and  spoiled  as  these 
noble  fragments  are,  they  even  now  suffice  to  endow  this  Httle  temple,  built  entirely  of  Pentelic 
marble,  with  a  beauty  that  is  unapproachable  for  dignity  and  restraint. 

Descending  from  the  Acropolis  to  the  plain  below,  we  must  not  neglect  to  visit  the  Thesion  ; 
for  here  stands  the  best  preserved  of  the  temples  of  the  whole  of  ancient  Greece.  It  is  not  so 
elaborate  as  the  Parthenon,  nor  so  ornamented  as  the  Erectheon,  but  its  colossal  bulk  and  its 
thirty-six  marble  columns  which  surround  the  stylobate  combine  to  form  a  most  imposing  structure. 
Only  the  metopes  on  the  eastern  front  of  the  entablature  are  carved,  but  the  want  of  decoration 
is  not  felt ;  rather  the  absence  enhances  its  solemn  splendour,  and  testifies  to  the  power  of  the  religion 
which  inspired  the  building  of  the  mighty  fane.  It  is  worth  while  noting  here  that  the  pillars, 
as  in  all  Grecian  architecture,  are  not  formed  in  one  straight  shaft.  Each  has  a  light  swelHng, 
or  entasis,  in  its  central  girth,  and  this  gives  the  effect  of  a  perpendicular  line  to  the  eye.  In 
fact,  scarcely  a  line  in  the  whole  composition  of  a  Grecian  building  is  straight ;  each  is  intentionally 
curved.     For  instance,  the  marble  steps  leading  to  the  stylobate  of  the  Parthenon  are  curved,  the 


From  Sterfo  copyri'iht  bli'\  {^Uialericuod  d"  I'inli'ficuod. 

THE    TEMPLE     OF     NIKE     APTEROS.     ATHENS. 

This  beautiful  little  teinple.  built  on  a  bastion  of  the  Wall  of  Cimon  on  the 
south-west  of  the  Acropolis,  is  especially  noted  for  the  splendid  frieze,  four  panels 
of  which  were  brought  to  England  by  Lord  Elgin  and  replaced  by  terra-cotta 
duplicates. 


Europe 


725 


cornices  that  surround  the  pediments  are  also  curved,  and  each  of  the  columns  leans  slightly 
inward  to  counteract  the  thrust  of  the  roof.  Each  style  of  architecture  has  its  method  of 
meeting  this  contingency :  the  weight  of  the  roof  of  a  Gothic  building  is  designed  so  as  to  fall 
on  the  flying  buttresses  which  form  so  distinct  a  feature  of  these  structures,  and  again,  the  dome 
of  a  Byzantine  building  has  its  weight  resting  on  the  curve  which  it  forms  ;  but  nowhere  have  science 
and  art  reached  such  a  state  of  perfection  that  they  have  combined  to  form  so  harmonious  and 
serviceable  a  monument  as  a  Greek  temple.  One  mystery,  however,  still  remains  to  be  solved. 
How  was  a  Greek  temple  lighted  ?  Little  is  known  on  the  subject,  for  not  enough  standing  ruins 
have  survived  to  assist  in  the  solution  of  the  problem.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  the  only  light 
entering  within  the  shrine  came  from  the  mighty  doorways,  and  that  further  illumination  was  sup- 
plied by  the  lamps  burning  always  before  the  statues  of  the  gods.  Nor  is  there  any  reason  why 
this  should  not  be  the  answer  to  the  question.  It  is  quite  possible  that  these  lamps  would  give 
sufficient  light  to  the  assembled  worshippers,  for,  as  far  as  we  know,  services  such  as  we  understand 
by  the  term  were  never  held  within  the  temple.  Sacrifices  and  religious  processions  took  place 
outside,  and  only  small  bodies  of  suppliants  found  their  way  within.  To  these  the  dimly-lit  halls 
of  the  gods,  contrasting  with  the  brilliant  light  that  pervaded  the  outside  world,  would  intensify 
the  majesty  and  mystery  surrounding  their  behef  and  their  senses  would  be  stirred  by  the  golden 
glimmer  and  the  faint  exhalation  of  incense  to  strange  depths  of  religious  fervour. 

But  we  must  hasten  on  to  the  Olympeion,  or  Temple  of  the  Olympian  Zeus.  Originally  designed 
by  the  tyrant  Pisistratus,  it  was  left  till  the  time  of  Antiochus  (b.c.  174)  and  his  architect  Cossutius 
for  the  scheme  to  be  carried 
out,  but  death  hindered  the 
King  of  Syria  from  com- 
pleting his  plan,  and  long  the 
temple  remained  unfinished, 
until  Hadrian,  in  a.d.  130, 
completed  the  work.  But 
the  huge  building  was  fated 
to  be  again  destroyed,  al- 
though the  exact  cause  of  this 
destruction  is  unknown.  All 
that  we  do  know  is  that 
there  now  remain  to  us  fifteen 
huge  Corinthian  pillars,  fifty- 
six  and  a  half  feet  high,  one 
of  which  was  blown  down  in 
a  storm  in  1852.  The  pro- 
portions of  the  building  are 
typical  of  Roman  enterprise, 
for  the  Romans  were  a  people 
wanting  in  the  acute  judg- 
ment and  fine  artistic  qualities 
of  Greece ;  they  delighted 
rather  in  mighty  structures, 
and  so  contemplated  with 
pride    the    enormous    temple 

'^  I'rom  Slneo  eopuritjlit  hli']  l«.  V.   WInle  Vo. 

they  had  erected  at  Athens.  the   prison  of  socrates.   Athens. 

Hadrian       it       was         too        who  Tradition  reports   that    tKe    Greek    philosopher    inhabited    the    caverns    which    bear 

his    name,    but    in    the    opinion    of    archaeologists    these    are    rather    burial    vaults    of    a 
erected  the     arch     dividing  the  r.ce  of   the  Mycenaean  age. 


726 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


old  Greek  city  from  the  new  part  which 
sprang  up  during  his  rule,  and  its  purpose 
seems  to  have  been  to  define  the  Hmits  of 
the  two  cities  ;  for  on  one  side  a  Greek 
inscription  ran  :  "  This  is  Athens,  the  old 
city  of  Theseus,"  and  on  the  other  :  "  This 
is  the  city  of  Hadrian,  and  not  of  Theseus." 
The  self-confidence  of  the  Roman  is  dis- 
played in  these  words,  but  it  was  the  self- 
confidence  of  overgrown  pride,  and  the 
whirligig  of  time  has  brought  its  revenges ; 
for  which  is  the  more  honoured  of  the 
townships  to-day — Ancient  Athens  or  the 
Athens  of  Hadrian  ? 

At  the  end  of  the  Rue  d'Eole  stands 
an  octagonal  marble  tower.  It  is  called 
the  Tower  of  the  Winds,  and  is  the  erection 
of  Andronicus  of  Kyrrhos,  built  for  the 
accommodation  of  a  water-clock,  a  sun- 
dial and  a  weathercock.  The  clepsydra  is 
gone,  and  so  is  the  weather-vane,  although 
the  lines  of  the  sundials  inscribed  on  the 
eight  sides  are  still  to  be  seen.  These 
sides  face  towards  the  chief  points  of  the 
compass,  the  points  being  represented  on 
the  frieze  running  round  the  top  of  the 
building  by  reliefs  of  the  wind  gods  of 
the  various  quarters ;  Boreas,  Kaekias, 
Apeliotes,  Euros,  Notos,  Lips,  Zephyros 
and  Skiron  are  all  there,  but  the  sculp- 
ture is  poor.  An  octagonal  pyramid  forms  the  roof,  on  the  apex  of  which  stood  the  vane — -a  triton 
blowing  a  horn. 

We  have  already  mentioned  the  cyclopean  walls  which  encircled  Athens  at  a  time  previous  to  the 
commencement  of  actual  history  ;  and  we  must  return  to  that  period  to  discuss  the  caverns  which 
are  to  be  found  in  certain  localities  of  older  Athens.  One  of  these  is  termed  the  Prison  of  Socrates, 
and  is  situated  on  the  north-east  of  the  Hill  of  Philopappos,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  south-west 
of  the  Acropolis.  All  that  there  is  to  be  seen  when  we  have  passed  the  wooden  gates  are  three 
chambers  hewn  out  of  the  living  rock.  The  central  one  of  these  is  unfurnished,  but  in  the  chamber 
to  the  left  marks  of  a  sarcophagus  are  to  be  found  on  the  floor.  This  points  to  the  use  of  these 
caves  as  burial  vaults  by  a  forgotten  people  of  the  Mycenaean  age.  How  the  legend  arose  that  this 
was  the  prison  of  the  Greek  philosopher  it  is  impossible  to  conjecture,  for  the  Athenians  regarded 
these  caverns  as  sanctuaries,  and  there  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  they  were  put  to  any  profane 
use.  Without  doubt  the  Prison  of  Socrates  belongs  to  the  same  period  of  construction  as  the 
caves  of  Pan  and  Apollo  in  the  Acropolis. 

Built  on  the  plain  below  the  south-east  corner  of  the  Acropolis  is  the  Theatre  of  Dionysos,  perhaps 
better  known  as  the  Theatre  of  Bacchus.  To  the  traveller  looking  down  on  it  from  above  the 
shadows  that  people  the  dramas  of  Greece  take  life,  and,  as  it  were,  occupy  the  empty  stage  and 
ruined  auditorium  ;  for  this  semicircle  was  the  centre  of  dramatic  life  of  Greece.  From  here  the 
weighty  words  of  ^schylus  and  the  graceful  plays  of  Menander  were  given  to  the  Athenian  playgoer, 


From  Stereo  copyriaht  by'\ 

GALLERY    OF 

1  iryns,    situated 
finest    cities    built    it 


[//.  C.  White  Co, 
THE    CITADEL.    TIRYNS. 
n    ihe    west    of    the    Peloponnesus,    is    one    of    the 

the   Mycenaean    Age.       The    cyclopean    walls  here 


shown    are    composed 
a    vaulted    gallery. 


of 


enormous 


hammer-dressed     stones,    and    form 


Photo:!  by'] 


If/ndericood  ^  Vndervcood. 


THE    ROCKS    OF    FONTAINEBLEAU. 


TKeae    curious    sandstone    formations    are    to    be    Found    in    the    magnificent    forest    wKicK    is    attached    to    one    of    the    most 

famous    chateaux    of    France. 


728 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Photo  by'\ 


THE     ROCKS    OF     FONTAINEBLEAU. 


{Underwood  tt  Underwood. 


and  there  was  once  a  time  when  the  now  forsaken  benches  were  hidden  behind  the  folds  of  white 
chita  and  filmy  peploi,  whose  wearers  were  swayed  with  the  passion  of  a  great  tragedy  or  broke 
into  delighted  laughter  at  the  clever  conceits  of  the  satiric  Aristophanes. 

The  stage  and  orchestra  of  the  extant  theatre,  however,  are  certainly  of  Roman  workmanship, 
for  the  former  is  adorned  with  bas-reliefs  of  the  time  of  Nero  ;  but  the  auditorium  is  nevertheless 
Grecian  and  the  stone  benches  that  form  the  ever-widening  semicircle  have  always  remained  in  situ. 
In  the  front  row  the  seats  were  of  marble,  and  were  reserved  for  the  priests  of  Dionysos,  while  others 
can  be  recognized  as  thrones  intended  for  the  emperors  of  Rome.  Following  the  usual  custom  of 
Greek  theatres,  the  building  was  open  to  the  sky. 

Before  leaving  Athens,  let  us  retrace  our  steps  to  the  Erectheon  in  order  that  we  may  gain  a 
general  impression  of  the  noble  city.  To  the  north,  ten  miles  away,  rises  Mount  Pentelicus,  whose 
quarries  have  yielded  all  the  marble  used  in  the  buildings  of  Athens.  To  the  north-west  is  Mount 
Parnes,  the  chief  peak  of  the  mountain  chain  that  stretches  across  north-west  Attica  and  meets 
the  sea  as  Mount  Corydalus.  Opposite  is  "  sea-born  Salamis,"  the  scene  of  the  memorable 
defeat  of  the  great  armament  of  Xerxes.  Turning  southward,  low  hills  separate  us  from  the  sea, 
and  the  plain  from  which  they  rise  is  dusty  and  parched.  One  band  of  colour,  however,  breaks 
up  the  browns  and  greys,  sweeping  from  Pentelicus  to  Parnes.  It  is  the  dark  green  of  the  olive- 
plantations  that  fill  the  plain  of  Kephissus,  and  nearer  to  the  south-west  is  Mount  Hymettus,  where, 
in  the  spring,  myriads  of  flowers  cover  the  slopes  and  afford  honey  for  these  bees  of  ancient  fame. 

As  the  eye  turns  nearer  home  it  rests  with  pleasure  upon  the  fine  buildings  of  modern  Athens, 
the  gardens,  the  palaces  and,  above  all,  on  the  snow-white  Stadium  ;  but  at  last  it  comes  to  the 
relics  of  the  splendour  that  has  passed  away — the  Parthenon,  the  Erectheon,  the  little  temple 
of  Nike  and  the  magnificent  Propylaea.  These  are  the  crown  and  glory  of  all  Greece,  and  the  dignity 
of  the  mighty  ruins  mingled,  as  it  is,  with  tragedy  of  departed  greatness,  gives  to  the  naturally 
beautiful  scene  an  especial  and  unrivalled  glory — "  Earth  hath  not  anything  to  show  more  fair." 

Tiryns. — Situated  between  Nauplia  and  Argos  in  the  west  of  the  Peloponnesus,  isTiryns,  a  small 
village  absolutely  destitute  of  interest  save  for  its  splendid  cyclopean  remains ;  yet  these  are  sufficient 
to  constitute  its  just  claim  for  fame,  as.  with  the  single  exception  of  Mycenae,  they  reveal  the  most 


Europe 


729 


complete  picture  of  the  structures  belonging  to  this  unknown  race.  On  account  of  the  earlier 
exploration  of  Mycenae's  prehistoric  capital  the  name  of  that  locality  has  been  assumed  to  designate 
the  works  of  this  era,  and  to  archaeologists  this  period  is  known  as  the  Mycenaean  period.  In  Tiryns 
are  to  be  found  the  remains  of  a  complete  Mycenaean  palace,  which  are  such  as  to  excite  not  only  the 
wonder  of  the  moderns,  but  that  of  the  ancients  also  ;  for  Pausanias,  in  his  "  Periegesis,"  compares 
Tiryns  with  the  Pyramids,  and  the  opinion  of  the  present  century  supports  his  comparison.  The 
walls  of  the  town  are  called  cyclopean  by  reason  of  a  Greek  legend  which  states  that  Cyclopes  (not 
the  Cyclops),  came  from  Lycia  to  King  Prcetus  of  Argos  and  built  the  giant  fortress  of  Tiryns. 
Certainly  Tiryns  is  older  than  Mycenae,  but  so  legendary  a  tale  must  not  be  taken  as  a  reliable  state- 
ment of  the  town's  foundation.  Excavations  carried  out  in  1884-1885  now  enable  the  palace  to  be 
inspected.  The  main  gate  is  fortified  by  a  tower  and  leads  to  an  inner  passage,  by  which,  after 
passing  another  gate,  an  elaborate  propylaeum  is  reached.  This  leads  to  an  inner  court  surrounded 
by  a  colonnade,  which  gives  it  the  appearance  of  mediaeval  cloisters.  In  this  courtyard  to  the  right 
of  the  entrance  is  an  altar  and  a  pit  of  sacrifice.  Continuing  on  the  south  side,  we  come  to  chambers 
(thalamoi),  probably  for  attendants,  and  amongst  these  a  bath-room  is  to  be  seen  with  a  sloping 
floor,  which  allows  the  water  to  drain  through  a  pipe  in  the  wall.  Passing  through  these  rooms,  we 
come  to  the  great  dining-hall,  or  megaron,  which  is  certainly  the  most  elaborate  part  of  the 
palace.  An  incised  pattern  of  curved  design,  such  as  is  seen  in  the  earlier  Mycenaean  vases,  orna- 
ments the  floor,  while  the  stucco  walls  are  decorated  with  very  effective  patterns  of  scroll  work  and 
birds.  Perhaps  the  most  prized  discovery  made  here  was  of  portions  of  a  frieze  sculptured  in  white 
alabaster  and  ornamented  with  blue  glass  jewels. 

The  illustration  shows  the  passage  in  the  cyclopean  walls  in  the  rock  citadel.  The  length  of  the 
gallery  is  seventy-five  feet  long,  and  to  the  right  are  five  rude  arches,  made  by  gradually  over- 
lapping layers  of  projecting  stones,  in  the  same  way  as  the  roof  of  the  gallery  is  formed.  These 
stones,  which  are  hammer- dressed  and  roughly  squared  up,  are  often  of  great  size,  and  are  held 
together  by  smaller  fragments  of  the  same  material ;  for  no  mortar  has  been  used,  though  it  is  not 
improbable  that  a  coating  of  stucco  was  added  to  improve  the  finished  appearance  of  the  gallery. 


Fhoto  iy] 


[l/ndeftrood  J:  Cni 


THE    ROCKS    OF    FONTAINEBLEAU. 


730 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


The  Rocks  of  Fonta.ineblea.u. — Thirty-seven  miles  from  Paris  lies  a  quiet,  though  by  no  means 
a  small,  town  famous  for  its  splendid  palace,  built  by  Gilles  le  Breton  and  Pierre  Chambiges  at  the 
command  of  Louis  VII.  of  France.  This  is  the  celebrated  Chateau  de  Fontainebleau,  where 
Francis  I.  received  his  dangerous  rival,  Charles  V.  of  Germany,  and  where,  three  hundred  years  later, 
the  great  Napoleon  loved  to  hold  his  court.  From  here  was  the  divorce  of  the  unhappy  Josephine 
promulgated,  and  from  here,  not  so  many  years  later.  Napoleon  himself  abdicated — divorced, 
indeed,  of  his  throne  and  his  people.  But  besides  a  palace,  Fontainebleau  has  a  forest,  the  most 
beautiful  in  France,  extending  over  a  space  of  forty-two  thousand  five  hundred  acres,  with  a 
circumference  of  fifty  miles,  and  enriched  with  some  splendid  trees  and  magnificent  scenery.  More 
curious,  however,  if  not  so  beautiful,  are  the  famous  sandstone  formations  that  abound  here.  They 
are  situated  some  three  miles  from  the  town  of  Fontainebleau,  and  to  see  them  we  must  follow  the 
Route  de  Paris,  then  branching  off  on  to  the  Route  de  Milly,  take  a  footpath  to  the  left,  and  soon 
we  shall  come  upon  these  curious  examples  of  erosion.     They  are  sculptured  by  Nature  out  of  the 


?  ■?err.»?<wr- 


Photo  iyl 


[77(c  P/ioloc/irom  Co.  Lid. 


ST.  PAUL'S  CATHEDRAL.  LONDON. 


A  view  of  St.   Paul's  from   BlacUfriars   Bridge,  whicfi  sfiows  tfie  beautiful  dome  to  its   fullest  advantage. 


grey  sandstone,  and  little  imagination  is  required  to  give  names  to  these  curious  monoliths.  Here 
is  one  for  all  the  world  like  an  elephant — that  is,  if  we  allow  a  slight  laxity  in  the  rules  of  proportion, 
and  there,  as  if  creeping  out  of  the  undergrowth,  is  a  giant  tortoise.  Soon  another  and  yet 
another  strange  shape  comes  into  view — but  we  will  leave  the  illustrations  here  given  to  speak  for 
themselves. 

SL  Paul's  Caihedratf  London. — St.  Paul's  Cathedral  is  best  described  as  the  most  national 
cathedral  church^of  the  British  Empire,  and  a  moment's  thought  of  the  great  fane  standing  on  the 
height  overlooking  the  city — a  symbol  of  the  great  heart  of  a  nation,  from  which  the  pulse  of 
national  life  flows  and  to  which  it  returns — easily  proves  the  truth  of  the  description. 

For  two  centuries  the  noble  pile  of  Sir  Christopher  Wren  has  towered  in  calm  majesty  over  the 
bustling  humanity  crowding  it  in  on  every  side.  The  sorrows  and  the  rejoicings  of  the  nation 
have  passed  over  it ;  generations  that  are  the  sport  of  time  have  been  swept  away,  but  St.  Paul's 
still  watches  over  the'' great  city,  still  majestic,  still  unchanged,  save  that  perhaps  as  year  succeeds 
to  year  fresh  memories  cling  to  the  nation's  temple,  just  as  a  little  more  of  the  mart's  ugly  grime  is 
left  on  the  grey  stone  walls. 

Three  churches  have  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  cathedral.     The  first  was  that  founded 


1?* 


Photo  by] 


IT/ie  I'hotochivm  Co.  Ltd. 


ST.    PAUL'S    CATHEDRAL.    LONDON. 
A    view    of    the    western    facade,    with    its    two    bell-towers,    from    Ludgate    Hill 


732 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


in  A.D.  6io  by  King  Ethelbert; 
the  second  was  a  Norman 
Gothic  structure,  to  replace 
the  earlier  church,  which  was 
destroyed  by  fire  ;  and  when 
that,  too,  became  a  prey  to  the 
flames  in  1666,  Sir  Christopher 
Wren  was  commissioned  to 
build  the  present  cathedral, 
which  was  not  finished  till  1711. 
The  architect  had  many  diffi- 
culties to  contend  with  before 
he  completed  his  great  task. 
Two  designs  were  submitted 
which  were  not  approved  of 
by  the  building  committee, 
and  even  the  third,  which 
was  finally  adopted,  was 
subject  to  many  alterations, 
and  furthermore,  Wren  was 
hampered  in  the  building  ma- 
terials which  an  ignorant  com- 
mittee demanded  should  be 
used.  One  of  the  details  which 
sorely  vexed  him  was  the  sub- 
stitution of  the  heavy  cast- 
iron  railing  which  surrounds 
the  building  for  the  elegant 
wrought  iron-work  which  he 
desired  to  erect.  Another  was 
the  painting  of  the  dome  when  his  wishes  were  that  its  vastness  should  be  emphasized  by  the 
jewel-like  brilliancy  of  mosaics.  Nevertheless,  the  building  is  an  example  of  modern  architecture 
worthy  of  the  man  who  designed  it,  and  it  is  besides  thoroughly  typical  of  the  nation  in  whose 
midst  it  stands.  It  is  vast,  and  even  if  somewhat  ponderous,  eloquent  of  strength.  Delicacy 
of  outline  and  meretricious  splendour  have  been  discarded  in  favour  of  the  more  solid  virtues 
of  fitness  and  thoroughness  of  execution ;  for  although  built  after  "  a  good  Roman 
manner.  Sir  Christopher  Wren  was  not  acquainted  with  the  Roman  system  of  construction, 
and  we  have  a  building  which  not  only  seems  to  be,  but  really  is,  built  of  stone,  within  and 
without.  The  arches,  cornices,  vaulting  arches,  and  all  wall  surfaces  and  carvings  are  of 
stone.  .  .  .  The  leading  architectural  lines  are  in  solid  wrought  stone,  and  are  an  integral  part  of 
the  structure." 

Besides  this,  authorities  have  eulogized  the  great  unity  in  this  masterpiece,  which  is  due  no 
doubt  to  the  fact  that  the  whole  was  completed  in  the  lifetime  of  the  designer,  and  the  practical 
work  was  supervised  throughout  by  one  master-mason — two  essentials  in  the  working  out  of  any 
great  undertaking.  The  lower  story  of  the  building  is  Cqrinthian,  the  upper  of  Composite  order, 
with  a  double  portico  on  the  east  side  flanked  by  two  bell-towers.  The  cupola  rises  from  the  body 
of  the  church,  the  dome  standing  on  an  Attic  order  encircled  by  a  balustrade,  resting  on  a 
peristyle  of  Composite  order.  This,  with  its  lantern,  is  crowned  by  a  gilt  copper  ball  and  cross. 
North  and  west  under  the  dome  branches  the  transept,  which  terminates  at  either  extremity  in  a 


From  Stereo  copyright  hi/'] 

THE    MONASTERY    OF    ST.    STEPHEN. 
These    strange     homes    are    built    on    the    craes    e(    the 


[//.  r.  White  Co. 
METEORA. 


mountainous  region  of 
Northern  THessaly.  They  are  inaccessible  save  for  the  craziest  of  ladders  or  by 
means    of    a    rope    basket    drawn    up    from    above    by    a    windlass. 


Europe 


733 


circular  portico  supported  on  Corinthian  pillars.     The  length  of  the  cathedral  is  four  hundred  and 
sixty  feet  and  its  height  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet  from  the  ground. 

Much  fine  work  has  been  lavished  on  the  interior,  although  even  to-day  the  mosaics  ornamenting 
the  elaborate  vaulting  of  the  body  of  the  church  remain  unfinished.  The  choir  stalls,  carved 
by  Grinling  Gibbons,  are  magnificent  specimens  of  this  famous  artist's  work,  and  were  erected 
at  a  cost  of  over  thirteen  thousand  pounds,  while  the  ornamental  iron  gates  in  the  Cathedral  are  the 
work  of  the  celebrated  Tijou.  Many  men  whom  the  nation  has  delighted  to  honour  lie  in  the  shelter 
of  the  great  dome,  but  none  had  greater  claim  to  the  right  of  sepulture  here  than  he  of  whom  it  is 
written  over  the  north  transept  porch  :    "  Lector,  si  monumentum  requiris,  circumspice." 

The  Cliff  Monasteries  of  Meteor  a. — On  the  northern  side  of  the  Peneius  Valley,  thrust 
forward  like  outposts  from  the  Cambunian  chain  of  mountains,  are  two  masses  of  greyish-brown 
rock,  which  are  split  towards  their  summit  into  towers  and  pinnacles,  varying  from  a  height  of 
perhaps  eighty  feet  from  the  main  bulk  to  as  much  as  three  hundred  feet.  These  gaunt  and 
precipitous  rocks  of  Thessaly  would  hardly  strike  the  observer  as  suitable  for  the  habitation  of 
man  ;  but  at  a  time  when  the  noblest  purposes  of  religion  were  held  to  be  fulfilled  in  a  life  of  seclusion, 
and  when  the  mind  of  the  ascetic  sought  to  be  released  from  all  contact  with  the  struggles  which  were 
rending  the  very  heart  of  Christendom,  what  grander  peaks,  what  more  isolated  position  could  be 
chosen  for  the  foundation  of  a  monastery  !  So  it  came  about  that  during  the  fourteenth  century 
these  silent  heights  were  peopled  with  still  more  silent  monks,  and  convents  arose  perched  high  on 
the  grey  escarpments,  like  strange  nesting-places.  There  was  no  means  of  access  to  these  queer 
abodes  except  by  a  rope  and 
net  of  strong  knotted  cord, 
which  was  worked  by  a  wind- 
lass from  above,  or  else  by 
the  craziest  of  ladders  nailed 
almost  perpendicularly  to  the 
bare  face  of  the  rock.  The 
same  conditions  of  entry  to 
the  monastic  precincts  are  in 
vogue  to-day,  and  the  only 
difference  in  the  surroundings 
is  that,  whereas  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  fifteenth  century 
twenty-four  monasteries  were 
huddled  together  on  the  sum- 
mits of  these  cliffs,  there  are 
now  only  four  —  the  Great 
Monastery,  Holy  Trinity,  St. 
Barlaam's  and  St.  Stephen's 
— which  are  of  any  importance 
as  regards  the  number  of 
the  occupants,  and  these  to- 
gether only  total  about  thirty 
persons. 

On  account  of  the  cramped 
area    at    their     disposal     the         F,-om  stei-fo  copyrigu  hyi  [//.  c.  wmip  co. 

resources   of   these     primitive  meteoron   and   st   barlaam.   meteora. 

monk    builders    were    taved     to  Greek    monks    founded    these    monasteries     in     the    fourteenth    century    to    separate 

themselves     from    the     turmoil    of     those     times.      At    one     time     there    were    twenty-six 
the     utmost  ;       and      how     they  buildings    huddled    together    on    these    heights.     Now    only    four    are    inhabited. 


Europe 


735 


managed  to  build  a  chapel,  a  refectory,  cloisters,  and  a  sufficient  number  of  cells  for  the  several 
inhabitants  of  each  monastery  is  a  matter  of  some  wonderment.  To-day  St.  Stephen's  is  the  richest 
conventual  home  and  possesses  one  of  the  finest  Byzantine  chapels  in  Greece  ;  but  perhaps  of  more 
antiquarian  interest  is  the  rock-hewn  chapel  of  St.  Barlaam,  adorned  with  paintings  from  the  legend 
of  St.  Ephraim. 

The  Solfatardf  Pozzaoti. — The  Neapolitan  possesses  a  unique  advantage  in  the  study  of  the 
life-history  of  a  volcano,  for  on  one  side  of  him  rises  up  the  huge  bulk  of  Vesuvius,  the  monstrous 
Titan,  always  in  a  state  of  unrest,  with  relentless  fire  gnawing  at  his  vitals,  and  on  the  other  side, 
a  mile  or  so  out,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  little  village  called  Pozzuoli,  is  a  vast  crater  of  a  dying 
volcano,  which  signifies  its  malevolence  only  by  spasmodic  outbursts  of  sulphurous  steam.  It  is 
interesting  to  walk  over  this  crater  along  the  paths  of  yellowy-white  potter's  clay,  bleached  by  the 
heated  sulphur  permeating  it,  and  to  examine  the  flowers,  tall  heaths,  and  blue  gentian  scattered 
over  a  thick  carpet  of  little  white  stars,  which  spring  up  on  all  sides.  But  as  the  deeper 
part  of  the  crater   is  reached,  evidences   are    not    wanting  of  the   latent   heat   which   is  lurking 


Phii/n  hii] 


[Th-  rh"l„rhr 


VENICE. 
A  general  view  of  this   beautiful  city,  lying  "  like  a  sea-bird's  nest,"  in  a  lagoon  of   the  Adriatic. 

underground,  for  the  plants  become  scarcer  and  the  clay  soil  hotter  and  hotter,  till  at  last 
the  crust  is  only  nine  inches  thick  and  the  warmth  underfoot  is  too  violent  to  be 
pleasant.  Presently  gaps  are  to  be  found  in  the  flat  surface — little  round  hollows,  in  which  the 
earth  boils  and  bubbles  continuously,  giving  off  clouds  of  hot  steam  that  often  obhterate  the  little 
lake  from  sight.  Farther  on  are  some  loosely-piled  calcareous  rocks,  and  let  the  guide  take  a  torch 
and  pass  it  across  the  uneven  surface.  Almost  instantaneously  a  dense  cloud  of  steam  will  arise, 
hot  and  choking  ;  out  of  every  crevice  it  pours,  and  even  from  the  higher  level  of  the  crater 
slope.  This  in  itself  is  sufficient  warning  that  the  dangerous  zone  is  only  quiescent,  and  the 
most  careless  onlooker  is  forced  to  realize  that  a  volcanic  outburst  may  even  yet  take  place  in 
this  apparently  exhausted  volcanic  zone.  If  he  want  further  evidence,  let  him  grope  his  way 
into  the  caverns  on  the  northern  side  of  the  crater ;  he  will  be  unable  to  explore  them  to  their 
final  depths,  for  before  he  has  crawled  very  far  he  will  be  forced  back,  baffled  by  the  scalding 
steam  and  choking  sulphur  fumes.  This,  he  must  remember,  is  in  a  locality  unrenowned  in 
historic  times  for  any  particular  eruption  or  as  the  cause  of  any  noteworthy  disaster ;  and 
he  will  concede  that  the  Solfatara  at  Pozzuoli  is  a  strange  marvel  of  this  marvellous  region  of 
volcanic  activity. 


736 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


Photo  hyl 


[The  I'holufhrom  Co.  Lid. 


THE     DOGES    PALACE.    VENICE. 


There  are  few  buildings  more  striking  in  appearance  or  more  lavishly  decorated  than  the   Doge's  Palace,  which  skirts  the 
Piazzetta  dei   Leoni.     History,  besides,  has  given   to  the  structure  a  fame  as  romantic  as  it   is  illustrious. 

Venice. — 

"  Once  she  did  hold  the  gorgeous  East  in  fee, 
And  was  the  safeguard  of  the  West  ..." 

Wordsworth,  in  these  famous  Hnes  on  the  Venetian  Republic,  was  alluding  to  the  wonder-history  of 
the  little  Italian  state,  which,  nestling  like  a  swan  in  the  blue  waters  of  the  Adriatic,  held  at  one 
time  an  unrivalled  position  in  the  affairs  of  Europe.  Roughly  dating  the  period  of  her  triumphant 
reign  from  the  dogeship  of  Orseolo  the  Magnificent,  it  may  be  said  that  Venice  became  the  mistress 
of  the  glories  of  the  East  and  the  riches  of  the  West  from  that  time  onward  until  the  disastrous  rule 
of  Giovanni  Cornaro  and  the  paralysing  Peace  of  Passarowitz,  in  1718,  destroyed  the  last  remnants 
of  her  faith  in  herself,  and  she  became  "  the  loose  and  wanton  realm  of  modern  Europe."  Her 
peculiar  position  was  favourable  to  Venice  ;  she  was  the  port  of  call  for  all  the  eastern  merchantmen, 
and  in  her  harbours  were  unladed  the  rich  bales  and  costly  treasures  which  were  the  products  of 
the  caravans  from  Arabia,  the  bazaars  of  Constantinople,  and  the  fertile  valleys  of  the  Nile  under 
the  Saracens.  From  her  shores  were  launched  the  vessels  which  took  the  Crusaders  to  the  land 
of  the  Soldan,  and  on  her  piazza  and  quays  the  flower  of  Christian  chivalry  and  European  wit 
mingled  with  the  most  enlightened  traders  of  Asia,  Africa  and  Spain.  With  the  interchange  of 
goods  came  also  the  interchange  of  learning,  culture  and  political  ideas,  so  that  into  the  lap  of 
Ocean's  nursling  rained  not  only  the  wealth  which  built  her  palaces,  but  the  enlightenment  which 
produces  men  of  intellect  and  inspiration.  Venice  attracted  to  herself  all  the  most  zealous  of  such 
men,  who,  seeking  to  express  in  form  their  lofty  ideals,  trained  hand  and  eye  to  obey  the  dictates 
of  the  soul,  and  through  the  medium  of  precious  metal  or  costly  marble,  rare  wood  or  delicate 
pigment,  created  such  masterpieces  that  her  palaces  and  churches  glow  with  a  resplendency 
which  was  the  pride  of  her  citizens  and  is  the  delight  of  all  time.  Chief  amongst  her  treasures  must 
be  counted  the  Ducal  Palace — "  a  piece  of  rich  and  fantastic  colour — as  lovely  a  dream  as  ever 
filled  the  imagination."     The  romance  of  history  and  the   sanctification  of  poetry  have  softened 


[By  tht  Photochrom  Co.,  Lid. 


POMPEII. 


[By  the  Photochrom  Co.,  Ltd. 


These  two  views  are  characteristic  of  the  town  of  Pompeii  as  it  appears  to-day.    The  upper  is  of  one  of  the  principal  streets. 
showing'  the  fountain  and  the  chariot  ruts  worn  in  the  tufa  roadway.      The  lower  is  of  the  interior  of  the  house  of  the  Tragic  Poet. 


Europe 


737 


the  errors  of  architecture  which  can  be  pointed  out  by  those  best  qualified  to  judge  of  the  exterior 
of  the  Ducal  Palace  ;  but  the  magnificence  of  the  interior  and  the  noble  workmanship  displayed 
therein  have  never  been  questioned ;  and  as  one  passes  through  the  beautiful  Porta  della  Carta, 
enriched  with  sculpture,  to  the  Grand  Court,  with  its  magnificent  well-head  of  bronze,  and  looks  across 
to  the  Giant's  Stairway,  a  mass  of  exquisite  marbles  and  sculpture  and  inlay  work,  leading  to  the 
two  huge  statues  of  Mars  and  Venus,  one  has  already  forgotten  the  objections  of  the  critics  with 
regard  to  the  deficiencies  of  the  building.  But  other  masterpieces  demand  our  attention.  On  the 
left  of  the  loggia  reached  by  the  Giant's  Staircase  is  the  famous  Scala  d'  Oro  of  Jacopo  Sansovino, 
a  mass  of  marble  and  gold,  the  ceiling  enriched  with  arabesques  and  bas-reliefs,  which  are  delicate 
enough  to  be  the  work  of  fairy  hands  rather  than  the  chef-d'  ceuvre  of  a  master  of  the  sixteenth 
century.  There  is  also  the  Sala  del  Maggior  Consiglio,  or  Grand  Council  Chamber,  which  was  begun  in 
A.D.  1310  and  completed  in  1334,  but  fated  to  be  destroyed  by  fire  two  centuries  later,  and  finally 
to  rise  like  a  phoenix  from  the  flames  to  a  state  of  even  greater  magnificence — for  here  are  some  of 
the  most  famous  paintings  in  the  world,  notably  the  Paradise  of  Tintoretto,  which  occupies  the 
whole  of  the  east  wall.  Round  the  hall,  too,  is  the  famous  frieze  containing  portraits  of  seventy- 
six  doges,  marred  by  one  blot  on  the  roll  of  honourable  names.  The  space  which  should  be 
occupied  by  the  portrait  of  Marino  is  covered  with  black  and  bears  the  inscription  :  "  Hie  est 
locus  Marini  Falethri  decapitati  pro  criminibus."  ("  This  is  the  place  of  Marino  Falieri,  beheaded 
for   his   sins ")  ;    for   Marino   was 

Doge    of   Venice,    but    stung    by  "^fi^  ^ 

the  inadequate  punishment  of  a 
roysterer  who  insulted  his  wife, 
he  used  his  high  office  for 
the  instigation  of  a  conspiracy 
against  the  state.  His  guilt  was 
discovered  and  in  expiation  thereof 
he  was  beheaded. 

This  Hall  of  Council  was 
used  by  the  nobles  whose  names 
were  inscribed  in  the  Libro  d' 
Oro  (or  Golden  Book),  and  who 
formed  the  most  important  power 
in  the  state  assemblies.  Usually 
these  meetings  were  to  discuss 
state  affairs,  though  banquets 
and  other  ceremonies  occasion- 
ally took  place  here.  But  we 
must  not  linger  over  even  so 
beautiful  a  treasure-house  as 
this  palace.  Venice  has  other 
perhaps  more  notable  buildings, 
and  particularly  to  be  mentioned 
in  this  respect  is  the  Cathedral 
■of  St.  Mark.  No  European  church 
can  compare  with  it  in  its  jewel- 
like beauty  ;  others  may  vie  with 

,  .  ,  ...  .  Photo  bu  permission.} 

it  m  architectural  qualities,  or  in  -j-^E   doges   palace.   Venice. 

size,   but  St.    Mark's    makes  no   pre-  showing    tWe    double    marble    colonnade    designed    by    the    Buoni    which    sur- 

.  rounds   the    whole   of    the   structure  and   the  beautiful    loggetta   over     the     principal 

tensions   to   such    characteristics.       entrance 

48 


738 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Rob  it  of  its  ornament  and  all  that  is  left  is  an  ordinary  structure  in  the  Byzantine  style,  with 
the  usual  arrangement  of  narthex  in  front  of  a  five-bayed  facade  and  the  main  body  of  the 
building  in  the  form  of  a  Greek  cross,  the  central  space  supporting  a  dome  and  a  cupola  rising 
from  the  midst  of  each  of  the  four  divisions  of  the  cross  ;  but  add  the  double  row  of  pillars  that 
adorn  the  facade,  each  carved  with  a  richness  which  is  more  than  art,  indicative  rather  of  a  divine 
zeal,  add  the  rich  beauty  of  the  material  from  which  they  are  chiselled— Greek  marble,  porphyry, 
verde  antique,  jasper — add  the  magnificent  mosaics  adorning  the  recesses  and  the  interior  and 
covering  an  area  of  forty-five  thousand  square  feet  with  the  richest  jewel  work  that  the  world  has 
cognisance  of ;  add,  too,  the  noble  group  of  bronze  horses—"  their  gilded  collars  glittering  in  the  sun  " 
— which  surmounts  the  central  portico,  and  finally  add  the  bronzes,  the  sculptures,  the  shrines,  tombs, 


Photo  1)ii'] 


THE     INTERIOR     OF     ST.     MARK'S.     VENICE. 


[The  rhMoehroii 


The    decoration    of     this     most     gorgeous     interior     is    chiefly     carried    out   in    inosaic    work,    which    for    its    richness    and    lustre 
rather  resembles  iewel-wori^.     Wonderful  carvings  and  bronzes  by  master  artists  and  craftsmen  add  also  to  its  splendour. 

reliquaries,  candelabra,  each  one  a  miracle  of  cunning  workmanship  and  rich  elaboration.  Then 
when  the  sum  of  all  these  is  complete  conceive,  if  you  may,  a  shrine  more  perfect,  more  sumptuous  or 
more  glorious.  But  the  Romance  of  History  has  hallowed  the  beautiful  building  with  memories  ;  for 
hither  the  body  of  the  saint  who  has  given  his  name  to  the  church  was  carried  by  the  Venetians 
from  its  resting-place  at  Alexandria,  which  had  been  ravaged  by  the  ruler  of  that  Province.  The 
first  church  of  St.  Mark  was  destroyed  in  976,  together  with  the  bones  of  the  saint,  and  the  building 
of  the  present  church  was  immediately  commenced  on  the  former  site.  The  new  San  Marco  was  conse- 
crated in  1085.  From  that  time  forward  it  would  seem  that  each  doge  has  left  some  record  of  his 
dogeship  by  addition  to  the  decoration  of  the  church  ;  for  instance,  in  the  atrium  are  the  tombs  of 
three  doges  and  a  dogaressa  ;  to  the  right  of  the  entrance  is  the  Zeno  Chapel,  containing  his  great 
bronze  tomb.  In  the  baptistery  the  altar  is  formed  of  a  huge  granite  stone  whereon  Our  Lord  is 
supposed  to  have  rested  and  which  was  brought  from  Tyre  by  Domenico  Michiel.  Here  also  is  the 
magnificent  tomb  of  Doge  Andrea  Dandolo,  the  historian.     Before  the  High  Altar  are  the  candelabra 


ine  Photoclirom  Co.  Ltd. 


Si 

THE    PIAZZA    OF    ST.    MARKS,    VENICE. 
In   this  square   the   Venetians  assemble    chiefly   in   the  evenings,  and    ihe    scene  is  a  very    gay    and    varied    one.      In    the    back- 
ground of  the  picture  is  St.   Mark's,   with   the   Doge's   Palace    on    the    right,  and    nearer    the    spectator    the    Campanile,    which    fell 
down  in   1902.  but  is  now  rapidly  approaching  complete  restoration. 


740 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


IHE     RIALTO.    VENICE. 

The  most    popular  business   centre    in    Venice.      Shylock.    the   Jew,    had   his  shop   upon    this   bridge,   although   a   covered 
structure    of    16*^1    has   replaced    the    bridge  of   Shakespeare's   day. 

given  by  Doge  Cristoforo  Moro,  and,  chief  of  the  church's  treasures,  there  is  the  altar  front  of  soHd 
gold — the  glorious  Pala  d'  Oro,  on  which  many  doges  expended  both  their  interest  and  their  riches. 
The  decoration  of  the  church  does  not,  however,  rest  upon  these  gifts  alone.  There  is  the  rich 
Byzantine  screen  dividing  the  choir  from  the  nave,  which  is  surmounted  by  marble  statues  executed 
by  Jacobello  and  Pietro  Paolo  delle  Massegne  ;  in  the  choir  are  some  bronze  reliefs  by  Sansovino,  who 
also  worked  the  magnificent  door  of  the  sacristy.  The  three  west  doors  are  of  bronze,  with  inlaid 
figures  in  silver,  the  central  one  alone  being  divided  up  into  forty -eight  compartments.  Finally 
there  is  the  treasury,  a  wonderful  store-house  of  rare  and  costly  ornaments  ;  these  include  the 
reliquary  containing  a  portion  of  the  true  cross  of  the  Empress  Irene,  two  candelabra  ascribed  to 
Benevenuto  Cellini,  a  golden  rose  presented  by  Pope  Gregory  to  a  dogaressa,  besides  a  profusion  of 
vases  in  onyx  and  alabaster,  one  even  of  turquoise,  and  many  beautiful  specimens  of  enamel  work. 

One  of  the  most  striking  ornaments  of  the  church  is  its  wonderful  pavement,  which  consists  of 
inlaid  marbles  after  the  fashion  of  marqueterie  work  and  is  termed  "  vermicolato."  It  is  a  work  of 
supreme  skill  and  beauty,  the  designs  of  a  richness  of  hue  and  pattern  that  is  unsurpassed  anywhere, 
and  just  as  the  life  of  the  state  was  in  Venice  blended  inseparably  with  the  life  of  the  church,  so  the 
civil  events  and  allegories  referring  to  the  civil  relations  of  the  Republic  are  introduced  into  the 
patterns. 

Venice  is  famous  for  its  waterways,  canals  forming  the  principal  thoroughfares  throughout 
the  city.  The  chief  of  these  is  the  Grand  Canal,  the  Corso  of  Venice,  always  thronged  with  gondolas, 
and  now,  through  the  agency  of  the  tourist,  with  steam  launches,  which,  however,  the  artistic  eye 
must  learn  to  overlook,  in  order  that  the  full  beauty  of  the  scene  may  be  appreciated. 

There  are  one  or  two  more  notable  spots  to  glance  at  ere  we  leave  Venice.  There  is  the  Piazza 
of  San  Marco,  the  centre  of  the  business  and  amusement  of  the  town.  Its  chief  ornament  is  the 
Campanile,  which  was  begun  in  902,  but  stood  unfinished  for  six  hundred  years,  until,  in  15 10,  the 
beautiful  little  loggia  of  the  belfry  and  the  lofty  pyramidal  roof  were  built  by  Maestro  Buono,  to 


Europe 


741 


complete  the  building.  Unhappily,  this  beautiful  tower  fell  to  the  ground  in  1902,  but  under 
the  careful  supervision  of  the  Italian  Government,  the  old  material  is  being  pieced  together,  and 
shortly  Venice  will  again  be  able  to  boast  of  her  Campanile.  But  who  would  mention  the  Piazza  or 
the  Campanile  without  a  reference  to  the  pigeons  of  St.  Mark's  ?  The  most  beautiful,  the  boldest 
and  the  most  worshipped  of  any  feathered  folk.  The  originators  of  the  stock  are  supposed  to 
have  carried  the  messages  of  the  "  blind  old  Dandolo  "  when  he  was  engaged  in  the  assault  of 
Constantinople  to  the  people  of  Venice ;  to-day  the  descendants  trade  on  their  ancestral  fame 
and  the  affections  of  the  populace. 

With  waterways  instead  of  streets,  Venice  must  rely  upon  her  bridges  for  a  means  of  sure  com- 
munication between  the  many  districts  of  the  city.  Nor  is  there  any  lack  of  them,  although  two  only 
are  known  to  fame.  These  are 
the  Rialto  and  the  Bridge  of 
Sighs.  The  first  is  perhaps  the 
finest,  though  by  no  means  an 
old  bridge.  Built  in  1691  dur- 
ing the  dogeship  of  Pasquale 
Cigogna,  it  replaced  the  old 
drawbridge  which  was  chosen 
by  Shakespeare  as  the  scene  of 
Shylock's  shop,  on  account  of 
its  renown  as  the  mart  of  the 
world.  Shops  still  occupy  the 
present  bridge,  ranged  on  either 
slope  and  separated  in  the  mid- 
dle by  an  arch.  There  are  three 
passages  across  the  bridge  ; 
that  in  the  centre  between  the 
shops  and  one  on  either  side 
skirted  by  the  marble  balus- 
trade. Of  the  other  bridge 
• — the  Bridge  of  Sighs — little 
need  be  here  said.  It  is 
the  "  pathetic  swindle  "  which 
has  evoked  the  unnecessary 
emotions  of  sentimentalists.  It 
was  built  by  the  same  archi- 
tect who  designed  the  prisons 
and  the  Rialto  Bridge  and  is 
of  much  too  late  a  date  to  have 
been  crossed  by  any  of  the  un- 
fortunate political  condamnes 
of  Venetian  History.  Ruskin, 
in  his  "Stones  of  Venice,"  has 
written  : 

"  No  prisoner  whose  name  is 
worth  remembering  or  who  de- 
served sympathy  ever  crossed  the   bridge   of   sighs. 

the     Bridge    of    Sighs      which     is  ''   ''  ""'<"^'"n»"   '"f  romance  that   this  bridge    was    built    long    after  the  imprison- 

'  ment  of   political  prisoners    had    been    abandoned.     It    is    nevertheless  a  good    piece    of 

the  centre  of  the  Byronic  ideal       uterRenaissance  architecture. 


742 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


of  Venice  ;  no  great  merchant  of  Venice  ever  saw  that  Rialto  under  which  the  traveller  now  pauses 
with  breathless  interest.  .  .  ."  But  we  need  not  mourn  over  the  hard  realism  of  Truth.  Venice  is 
sufficiently  lovely  without  the  glamour  of  tawdry  romance  ;  she  is  a  queen  of  cities  enthroned  on 
the  sea,  crowned  with  palaces  and  adorned  with  the  pearls  of  price  bestowed  upon  her  by  her 
noblest  sons.  But — it  is  whispered — her  glory  is  passing.  Alas  !  alas  !  if  it  must  be  that  we  shall 
lament  over  her  vanished  glory  ;  but  let  us  hope  still,  and  comfort  ourselves  with  the  thought  that : 

"  A  thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  for  ever. 
Its  loveliness  increases:  it  shall  never 
Fade  into  nothingness." 

Pompeii  is  a  city  of  the  dead  ;    but  it  is,  nevertheless,  a  city  alive  with  interest,  for  here  the 
destroyer  has  become  the  preserver,  and  the  ashes  which  fell  in  fiery  showers  upon    the ,  doomed 


POMPEII. 

A   general   view  of    Pompeii   as   il    lies  under   the   shadow   of    its   destroyer,    Vesuvius, 

citizens  have  dealt  tenderly  with  their  habitations,  their  lares  and  penates,  sheltering  these  from 
the  destroying  force  of  time  until  the  labours  of  the  excavator  should  rescue  them  from  oblivion. 
But  the  fact  that  he  is  in  a  city  of  the  dead  soon  impresses  itself  on  the  wanderer  in  Pompeii.  The 
dull  monotony  of  silence  is  upon  everything.  The  sun  appears  cruel  and  inquisitive  as  it  shows 
up  the  ugly  cracks  in  the  masonry  of  the  houses  and  slants  through  the  gaping  doorways.  Even 
the  tufa  pavements  sound  hollow  to  the  tread,  and  save  for  a  few  weeds  and  lichen  growths  springing 
up  amongst  the  stones  and  brickwork,  and  here  and  there  a  restored  villa  garden,  the  eye  can  rest 
on  no  oasis  of  foliage  throughout  this  great  desert  of  grey  walls.  But  once  things  were  different 
in  Pompeii.  In  the  time  of  Nero  it  was  the  fashionable  resort  of  the  well-to-do  Roman  merchant. 
Here  the  delightful  warmth  and  the  luxury  of  sea  bathing  attracted  fashionable  crowds,  so  that 
the  city  prospered  as  its  renown  was  spread  abroad,  and  wealthy  men  erected  villas  ;  men  of 
leisure  lived  here  in  retirement ;  while  some,  like  Phaedrus  (known  to  posterity  by  his  "  Fables"), 
chose  the  city  as  a  place  of  refuge  from  the  personal  eye  of  the  Emperor.  It  must  not  be  supposed, 
however,  that  the  spot  was  unknown  to  Rome's  emperors.     Claudius  had  a  country  house  in  the 


744 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


I'hoto  by]  [J.  If.  McLellan. 

A    WINE-SHOP    IN    POMPEII. 

Notice  the  "bar"  inlaid  with  various  marbles. 


neighbourhood,   and  it  was  here  that  Augustus  paid 

a  visit   to  Cicero  in  his  beautiful  villa.     As  a  con- 
sequence, the  beauties  of  Pompeii  were  sung  by  the 

poets  of  the  time,  but  men  of  great  repute  also  have 

testified  to  its  renowned  loveliness.      Seneca  relates 

that  it  was  famed  amongst  the  Romans  for  "  its  roses, 

its  wines  and  its  pleasures." 

The    patronage    of    the    wealthier    class    brought 

with    it    the     necessary    accompaniments    of    public 

buildings    for   religious   and   secular   entertainments ; 

shops    for   the    sale    of   goods   and   the   usual  crowd 

of     menials.       Bakeries,     laundries,      wine     booths, 

smithies   and   potteries    are  all   to  be   found ;    while 

the   expensive    shops   which    surrounded   the    Forum 

were    possibly   rented   by   jewellers,   money-changers, 

and   the   most    prosperous    tradesmen    of   the    town. 

Theatres   there    are,    too,    one    large    and   one   much 

smaller,  which  was  roofed,   a  method   of   protection 

from  the  weather  not  common  amongst  the  Romans 

with  regard  to  their  places  of  amusement  ;  further, 

at    a  little    distance    from  the  present  limits  of  the  excavated   town  is  the  amphitheatre.      It 

is  not  unreasonable  to  find  Pompeii  so  well  equipped  for  the  purposes  of  public  entertainment ; 

for  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  Romans  were  a  pleasure-loving  race,  and  here  were  those  who 

had  both  leisure  and  money  to  spend  upon  gladiatorial  shows  and  the  less  sanguinary  pleasures  of 

comedy  and  tragedy.     But  it  was  the  former  class  of  show  which  delighted  the  people,  and  much 

money  was  lavished  upon  the  training  of  the  men.       The  barracks  of  the  gladiators  in  this  city  are 

large    and  well  built,  with  a  large  plot  of  grass  in  the  centre  of  the  square,  round  which  rise  the 

stucco  columns  of  the  portico,  painted  a 
third  of  the  way  up  in  red  and  supporting 
the  roof  which  afforded  protection  to  the 
numerous  apartments  of  the  building — 
mess-room,  guard-house,  kitchen,  stables, 
oil-mill.  The  amphitheatre  was  large, 
holding  as  many  as  twenty  thousand 
persons,  and  what  is  of  particular  interest 
as  proof  of  the  taste  of  these  people,  it  was 
built  and  in  use  long  before  the  Colosseum 
was  finished  at  Rome  ;  but  the  interest 
in  these  gladiatorial  shows  sometimes 
over-stepped  the  bounds  of  decorum,  and 
one  fracas  which  arose  during  one  of  these 
shows  provoked  the  just  displeasure  of 
Nero,  and  resulted  in  the  prohibition  of 
such  entertainments  in  Pompeii  for  a 
period  of  ten  years.  This  accounts  for  the 
paucity  of  gladiatorial  impedimenta  found 
during  excavations  and  for  the  lack  of  the 
usual  apparatus  of  these  shows  which  is 
generally  discovered  beneath  the  stage  of  an 


I'liolo  liy} 


[J.  W.  McLellan. 


A    BAKER'S    SHOP.    POMPEII. 


To    the    left    is    the    oven,  and    in    the    centre  are    the    grinding    mills, 
which  in  places  have  i»eeti  rivettetl  by  some  Pompeian  craftsman. 


Europe 


745 


amphitheatre.  It  was  in  a.d.  63  that  Pompeii  received  the  first  intimation  of  the  volcanic  disturb- 
ances which  were  to  work  out  her  doom.  A  terrible  earthquake  shook  the  city  to  its  foundations, 
and,  as  we  learn  from  Tacitus,  destroyed  tlie  greater  part  of  the  buildings.  The  destruction  was 
made  greater  in  the  succeeding  year  by  a  still  more  violent  earthquake  ;  and  although  repairs  were 
immediately  commenced  and  gradually  a  new  city  was  builded  from  the  ancient  debris,  Pompeii 
was  still  unfinished  and  the  Forum  still  encumbered  with  a  mass  of  building  material  intended 
for  the  completion  of  repairs  when  the  eruption  of  Vesuvius  on  November  23rd,  a.d.  79,  sealed  for 
ever  its  doom,  and  the  succeeding  overflow  of  lava,  combined  with  the  ashes  which  entirely  enveloped 
the  ruins,  prevented  any  hope  of  reconstructing  this  city  of  villas  and  roses  and  wine. 


I'holo  bji]  [.J.  ir.  McLellan. 

THE  TEMPLE  OF  APOLLO. 

This  large    temple   is    of    Greek  origin.       It    has    been    identified    as    consecrated    to  Apollo    by    the    Comphalos.    or    conical    stone, 

erected  in   the  forecourt  of   the  temple.     Around  the   temple  were  ranged  statues  of  other  gods  and  goddesses. 

The  best  description  of  the  disastrous  eruption  is  to  be  obtained  from  the  famous  letters  of  Pliny 
the  younger,  written  to  Tacitus  to  inform  him  of  the  death  of  his  uncle,  Pliny  "  the  naturalist." 
The  writer  was  himself  an  eye-witness  of  the  disaster,  and  his  forcible  language  produces  so  fine  a 
word-picture  that  a  few  passages  from  the  second  letter  would  not  be  out  of  place  here  :  "It  was 
then  the  first  hour,  but  the  light  was  still  faint  and  sickly.  All  the  surrounding  buildings  were 
shaken.  .  .  .  The  sea  was  ebbing  out,  apparently  driven  back  by  the  shock  of  the  earthquake  ; 
at  any  rate,  the  shore  was  much  extended,  and  a  great  number  of  marine  animals  were  left  high 
and  dry  on  the  beach.  We  could  now  see  a  black  lowering  cloud,  torn  by  a  blast  of  fire  that 
furrowed  it  with  rapid  zigzag  lines,  and  as  it  opened  it  disclosed  long  trails  of  fire,  like  forked 
lightning,  only  much  larger.  Soon  afterwards  the  cloud  came  down  and  covered  the  sea  .  .  .  and 
a  shower  of  ashes  began  to  drop  (only  a  scanty  shower  as  yet)  ;  then  darkness  fell  over  all.     At  last  the 


746 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


darkness  dispersed  into  a  mist  or  smoke  ;  soon  the  daylight  appeared,  and  then  the  sun,  which 
looked  livid  and  darkened  by  an  eclipse.  Everything  was  changed  as  we  looked  out  on  the  world 
with  dimmed  eyes.     The  ashes  had  covered  all  things  as  with  a  carpet  of  snow."* 

The  scanty  number  of  skeletons  which  have  been  found  during  excavations  proves  that  most 
of  the  inhabitants  succeeded  in  escaping,  and  there  are  evidences  that  the  citizens  revisited  the 
site  and  carried  away  quantities  of  property  and  valuables  which  it  was  possible  to  dig  out  of  the 
accumulations  of  ash  ;  but  much  was  past  hope  of  reclamation,  for  warm  showers  fell  after  the 
eruption  and  converted  the  fine  ash  into  volcanic  mud  which  completely  prevented  any  recovery  of 
the  objects  underneath.  More  than  this,  it  worked  its  way  by  its  own  weight  into  cracks  and 
crevices,  and,  as  it  hardened,  formed  a  mould  of  the  object  encased,  and  by  this  medium  many 
important  discoveries  have  been  made  which  help  us  to  piece  together  the  information  derived 


Photo  ly] 


[A\  6'.  Wood. 


THE     AMPHITHEATRE.     POMPEII. 


The  majority  of  Pompeians  were  a  leisured  and  pleasure-loving  class.  They  therefore  kept  a  school  of  gladiators  lor  their 
amusement.  On  one  occasion  a  dispute  arose  in  this  amphitheatre,  when  so  many  were  killed  that  Nero  forbade  the  con- 
tinuance of  gladiatorial  shows  in   the  city. 

from  earlier  researches,  and  obtain  a  fairly  exact  picture  of  Pompeian  life.  The  moulds  of  bodies 
have  been  preserved  in  this  way,  so  that  we  can  see  for  ourselves  how  the  unhappy  victims  of  the 
catastrophe  met  their  deaths.  We  can  see  them  lying  on  their  faces,  their  heads  pressed  close  to 
the  ground,  so  that  they  may  perhaps  escape  suffocation  in  the  dense  and  heated  atmosphere. 
All  the  woodwork,  also,  of  the  houses  first  collapsed  under  the  weight  of  ashes  and  after- 
wards rotted  away,  so  that  nothing  would  have  been  known  with  regard  to  doors  and  the 
other  wooden  portions  of  Roman  architecture,  had  it  not  been  for  the  impress  of  these 
ash  moulds.  As  it  is,  we  can  reconstruct  with  a  certain  amount  of  accuracy.  This  has 
been  done  in  the  case  of  the  House  of  the  Vettii,  one  of  the  finest  villas  in  the  whole  of 
Pompeii,  which  was  also  one  of  the  best  preserved,  so  that  only  the  woodwork  for  the  roof  and  the 
replacement  of  the  tiles  (which  are  made  after  the  ancient  pattern)  have  been  necessitated  to  enable 
the  visitor  to  gain  a  correct  impression  of  the  peristyle  of  a  Roman  house.  The  garden  has  been 
laid  out  in  accordance  with  information  gathered  from  the  frescoes  found  here.     But  before  going 

*   "  Pompeii,"  liy  Pierre  Gusman. 


H 
I 
m 


D 
m 

r 
r 
> 


O 

SJ 
H 
C 

z 
> 

o 

2 
■0 
pn 


i  3 


€.2. 


SI 


748 


The   Wonders   of   the  World 


further,  it  is  advisable  to  gain  a  correct  idea  of  the  construction  of  a  villa.  Whether  it  be  insignifi- 
cant or  so  elaborate  and  palatial  as  the  House  of  the  Faun,  the  main  features  are  the  same.  The 
primitive  dwelling  of  the  Latin  race  was  a  simple  structure,  with  a  wide  doorway  to  let  in  light 
and  a  hole  in  the  roof  to  let  out  the  smoke.  This  was  the  atrium.  Towards  the  centre  of  the  space 
was  the  hearth  and  the  water- jar,  and  on  the  side  opposite  the  door  was  the  bed  of  the  primitive 
owners.  Gradually  improvements  were  introduced.  It  was  necessary  to  provide  for  the  entry 
of  the  rain,  so  the  oblong  opening  in  the  roof  was  matched  by  an  oblong  tank  in  the  floor  ;  these 
were  the  compluvium  above  and  the  impluvium  below.  The  water- jar  remained  where  it  was 
first  placed,  but  the  hearth  itself  was  removed  to  one  side,  as  was  also  the  table  for  meals.  Then 
the  wall  opposite  the  chief  entrance  was  broken  down ;  to  the  right  and  left  wings  were  added  to 
the  building,  which  served  as  bedrooms.  The  atrium  now  led  out  into  the  tablium — the  place 
reserved  for  meals.  This  looked  on  to  the  garden,  which  was  soon  surrounded  on  its  four  sides 
with  a  covered  colonnade,  pillars  supporting  the  roof  flanking  the  open  space  for  flowers.  This  was 
the  peristyle.  After  a  time  the  walls  that  bounded  the  outer  side  of  the  colonnade  were  developed 
into  recesses  and  became,  first,  bedrooms,  and  later  were  transformed  into  occasional  rooms,  such 
as  library,  dining-room,  while  on  the  side  opposite  the  principal  entrance  a  large  room  was  arranged 
as  a  saloon.  At  the  back  of  this  room  was  the  vegetable  garden.  Some  of  the  later-built  houses 
had  a  second  story  built  around  the  peristyle,  with  a  double  colonnade  and  crazy  stairs  leading  at 
one  side  to  these  rooms,  always  bedrooms.  If,  as  in  the  case  of  the  House  of  the  Faun,  the  building 
required  more  rooms  than  the  ordinary  villa  could  supply,  a  second  series  of  rooms  was  arranged 
to  supplement  the  first.  This  system  of  building  was  suitable  to  the  exigencies  of  Pompeian  days. 
Roads  were  too  narrow,  too  choked  up  with  passers-by  and  waggons,  and  often  with  refuse  and 


I'holo  by-]  [y.  n\  McLellttn. 

'■'--  THE    HOUSE    OF    THE    VETTII,    POMPEII. 

This  villa  has  been    named    from    some  signet  rings    of    freedmen,  found    in    the    peristyle.      The    photograph    shows    the    atrium, 
with  the  compluvium  or  open  space  in   the  roof  and  the  impluvium  in  the  floor  to  receive   the  overflow  from  the  roof  above. 


Europe 


749 


[y.  ir.  MclMtan. 


THE     HOUSE    OF    THE    VETTll.     POMPEII. 


The  peristyle  of   the  house  as  it   has  been  restored,  with  the  surrounding  portico.      Even   the  plants  growing  here  have 
been  chosen  because   they  arc  known   to  have  been  cultivated  in   Pompeian  gardens. 

drainage,  to  make  an  outlook  on  to  them  desirable.  All  interest  was,  therefore,  centred  in  the 
interior  of  a  villa.  Cold  weather  was  seldom  experienced,  so  that  the  architect  had  little  need  to  bother 
about  artificial  warmth  for  the  rooms.  This,  if  necessary,  was  supplied  in  charcoal  braziers.  The 
great  necessity  was  shadow  from  the  heat  of  the  sun,  but  withal  light  and  air,  and  the  style  of 
the  Pompeian  building  adequately  fulfilled  this  purpose.  But  there  was  one  point  in  which  the 
Pompeians  excelled  their  mother  city  of  Rome  :  this  was  in  the  decoration  of  the  interiors  of  their 
houses.  Again  the  House  of  the  Vettii  affords  us  the  best  means  of  judging  the  scheme.  Every 
room  is  lavishly  ornamented  ;  one,  which  was  perhaps  the  library,  is  panelled  in  black  with  a  light 
and  fantastic  ornament,  of  medallions,  chains,  strings  of  beadwork,  brought  up  in  multi-coloured 
relief  against  the  black  groundwork.  The  large  room  to  the  right  of  the  peristyle  is  decorated  with 
panels  of  the  famous  Pompeian  red,  bordered  with  black  and  inset  with  panels  painted  with  graceful 
figures.  It  is  necessary  to  see  these  decorations  to  realize  the  brilliant  colourings  which  adorned 
what  must  have  been  a  gaily-painted  town.  For  painting  is  to  be  found  everywhere,  even  on  the 
pillars  of  the  Temple  of  Isis. 

One  word  with  regard  to  this  beautiful  little  Temple  of  Isis.  Here  is  a  most  convincing  truth 
of  the  readiness  of  the  Roman  to  include  the  gods  of  foreign  countries  in  his  mythology.  The 
worship  of  Isis  during  the  later  days  of  Rome  was  a  fashionable  cult,  and  the  popularity 
of  that  worship  in  Pompeii  is  sufficiently  clear.  Everywhere  are  to  be  found  references  to  the 
Egyptian  divinity,  even  little  altars  are  to  be  found  in  private  houses,  placed  there  to  receive 
the  offerings  of  the  household.  But  the  best  preserved  temple  in  Pompeii  is  that  of  Apollo, 
which  belongs  to  the  first  period  of  architecture  and  is  built  in  the  form  of  an  oblong,  surrounded 
witli  a  colonnade  of  two  stages.  At  the  upper  end  of  this  space  is  the  temple  proper  (the 
cella),  standing  upon  a  high  base,  or  podium,  which  is  approached  by  a    flight  of   steps,  before 


750 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


which  stands  an  altar  of  sacrifice.  The  columns  supporting  the  portico  are  Ionic,  which  later 
were  covered  over  with  stucco  to  imitate  Corinthian  pillars,  but  this  addition  has  fallen  off  and  the 
original  order  is  displayed.  Six  statues  of  other  deities  occupied  positions  in  this  court,  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  being  Aphrodite.  The  floor  of  the  cella  was  of  black,  white  and  green  mosaic  with  a 
border-line  of  red  and  white  marbles.  Nor  is  the  worship  of  Apollo  confined  to  the  temple  dedicated 
to  his  honour.  In  his  various  attributes,  such  as  the  sea-god,  the  god  of  harmony,  the  giver  of 
oracles,  he  is  to  be  found  commemorated  in  private  shrines  and  frescoes.  But  he  is  unmistakably 
the  Grecian  Apollo  and  his  worship  must  have  been  introduced  by  the  Greek  colony  into  Pompeii. 
In  this  way  we  can  have  complete  evidence  of  the  assimilation  of  foreign  ideas  by  the  Pompeians ; 
we  have  seen  the  cult  of  the  Egyptian  religion,  and  here  we  have  that  of  Greece. 

Let  us  now  turn  to  the  everyday  life  of  the  city,  and  first  examine  the  streets.      Narrow  they 


THE     HOUSE    OF    THE     AEDILE.  POMPEII. 

TKis  is  one  of  the  largest  in   the  city,  and  was  rebuilt  after  the  destructive  earthquake    of    A.D.  63.     The    lower    parts    of    the 

debased  Ionic  pillars  are  covered  with  the  famous  Pompeian  stucco  of  a  deep  red  colour,  while  the  upper  are  ornamented  with 
irregular  flutings. 

certainly  are,  but  they  are  well  paved  ;  while  facilities  for  crossing  the  road  have  been  remembered 
in  the  placing  of  stepping-stones,  usually  three,  level  with  the  curb,  across  certain  parts  of  the  road. 
These  stones  are  so  arranged  that  they  do  not  interfere  with  the  passage  of  the  wheels  of  the 
waggons  through  the  street.  How  great  the  wear  and  tear  as  made  by  the  traffic  may  be  judged 
by  the  deep  ruts  across  the  tufa  paving-stones  and  on  either  side  of  the  stepping-stones.  At  the 
corners  of  the  principal  streets,  such  as  the  Street  of  the  Fountain,  were  stone  tanks  with  a  carved 
standard  for  the  inclusion  of  the  water  tap.  How  great  a  necessity  they  were  to  the  citizens  is 
evidenced  by  the  polished  groove  made  in  the  margin  of  the  tank  where  the  left  hand  rested  as 
the  thirsty  stooped  down  to  drink  the  water.  The  water  supply  was  carried  into  the  town  by  an 
aqueduct  from  Nola,  and  any  surplus  water  flowing  into  the  tank  from  the  spouting  tap  was 
carried  by  an  overflow  pipe  into  the  street,  which  was  drained  away  into  the  sewers  outside  the 
city.  That  the  streets  were  often  thronged  and  sometimes  noisy  is  made  clear  by  the  notices  affixed 
by  owners  to  the  outer  walls  of  their  houses.     There  is  one  forbidding  the  congregation  of  noisy 


"0 

o 
3 


H 

I 


2.  o- 


.   3    ^ 

"  =:  o 


i,  3- 

<    0- 
3     (1 


c    0 

a  - 

=   o 


-D 

o 

2 

m 


0.  " 

HP 


752 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


youths  at  the  corner  of  a  road 
leading  into  the  Vicolo  di  Mercurio. 
Of  the  shops,  bakehouses  and 
taverns  are  the  most  common,  as 
the  arrangements  for  cooking,  even 
in  the  most  elaborately-furnished 
houses,  were  so  slight  that  the  sale 
of  ready-cooked  foods,  and  more 
especially  loaves,  was  no  incon- 
siderable form  of  trade.  The  wine 
shop  was  the  public  place  of  resort. 
They  were  more  elaborate  than 
most  of  the  Pompeian  shops,  and 
from  a  fresco  and  the  satires  of 
Martial  we  can  picture  the  crowded 
bar  with  the  custom^s  seated  on 
stools  round  the  table,  some 
perhaps,  playing  dice;  "Greek  wine 
was  especially  favoured  by  the 
elegant  man  of  Pompeii. 

The  life  of  the  city  was  that 
of  a  pleasure-loving  community, 
and  the  following  quotation  from 
Mr.  W.  M.  Mackenzie's  book  on 
these  ruins  reproduces  the  scene 
with  admirable  realism.  "  Wag- 
gons and  carts,  with  loosely  at- 
tached mules  or  horses,  clanked 
and  bumped  over  the  worn  pave- 
ment and  down  the  deep  ruts ; 
street  merchants  proffered  and 
appraised  their  bric-a-brac  or  fruits 
and  flowers  ;  porters  and  pack-mules  with  jingling  bells  threaded  their  way  through  the  traffic, 
turning  off  here  and  there  to  their  destinations  ;  citizens  hurried  and  jostled  along  the  narrow 
sidewalks,  eager  and  vivacious,  past  gaily- panelled  wall-spaces  or  gaping  shop-fronts  where  the 
goods  plucked  at  their  sleeves.  Puffs  of  steam  from  the  cook-shops  and  the  odours  of  their  food 
crossed  the  less  pleasant  exhalations  from  the  garbage  and  wash  in  the  gutters.  Interested  persons 
would  stop  to  read  on  a  public  album  the  latest  pohtical  appeal  or  public  advertisement  of  shops 
or  houses  to  let  or  of  articles  stolen  ;  others  bent  at  some  corner  to  draw  or  drink  from  the  splash- 
ing jet  of  a  fountain  ;  or  dodged  for  the  stepping-stones  or  swallowed  a  hot  or  cold  refresher  at  an 
open  bar,  or  cast  the  hood  over  the  head  and  dived  into  some  noisy  tavern  to  consort  with  dubious 
company  at  wine  or  dice.  .  .  .  Night  descends  quickly  in  the  south,  bringing  a  glaring  moon  or 
stars  with  the  sparkle  of  gems  upon  velvet;  the  shops  are  shuttered,  the  houses  close  as  a  prison, 
the  streets  in  shadow  or  utter  gloom  ;  the  nervous  passenger  lights  his  way  by  a  wavering  taper 
or  a  horn-framed  lantern,  or,  if  rich,  by  the  links  of  his  slaves.  .  .  .  the  noise  of  the  day  returns 
in  boisterous  and  erratic  gusts  and  the  early-to-bed  Pompeian,  like  Macerior,  turns  on  his  unquiet 
pallet  and  vows  that  in  the  morning  he  will  inscribe  on  the  nearest  album  a  personal  request  to 
the  sedile  to  put  some  restraint  upon  these  murderers  of  his  sleep." 

There  is   one  part  of  the  city  where  the  bustle  and  noise   gave  place  to  a  calm,  but  there 


[7Vi.'  riiul'Hii,-om  Co.  Ltd. 


Pholo  7,1,] 

FINGALS    CAVE. 
This    famous    cave    on    the    shores  of  the  sinall    island  of    Staffa.  off   the  west 
coast  of  Scotland,  is  composed  of  the  same  strange  rocU   pillars   which  are   to  be 
found  in  the  Giant's  Causeway. 


Europe 


753 


was  nothing  gloomy  in  the  stillness,  for  melancholy  had  no  part  in  the  Latin  mind,  least  of  all  in 
the  Pompeian  :  so  that  the  Street  of  Tombs  was  far  from  a  wilderness  of  dead  men's  bones.  The 
usual  form  of  the  tomb  was  the  cippus  such  as  is  shown  in  the  illustration  of  the  Street  of  Tombs, 
which  recorded  the  site  of  the  buried  urn.  A  tiled  channel  connected  the  urn  with  an  aperture 
closed  by  a  stone  and  covered  to  a  little  depth  with  earth,  so  that  when  libations  were  offered  to 
the  deceased  the  wine  or  oil  would  flow  directly  upon  the  urn. 

The  Street  of  Tombs,  although  to  this  city  what  the  Appian  Way  is  to  Rome,  is  not  the  only 
street  outside  the  walls  which  is  devoted  to  the  memory  of  the  dead.  The  streets  leading  out  of 
the  Gates  of  Stabia,  Nuceria  or  Nola  all  have  tombs,  but  the  road  that  led  to  Herculaneum 
was  the  most  important  of  them  all  in  this  respect. 

Fingal's  Cavz. — The  Island  of  Staffa,  lying  off  the  coast  of  Argyll,  is  famous  for  Fingal's  Cave, 
a  marvellous  geological  formation  akin  and  certainly  connected  with  the  Giant's  Causeway  of 
Ireland.  Each  side  of  the  entrance  is  flanked  by  columns  or  pillars  supporting  an  arch.  It  is  these 
pillars,  reminding  us  of  the  basaltic 
rock  formations  of  the  Giant's  Cause- 
way, that  have  given  the  island  its 
name,  for  Staffa  is  the  Scandinavian 
equivalent  for  "  pillar."  They  are 
sixty-six  feet  high  and  forty-two  feet 
apart,  and  are  as  perfectly  shaped  as 
though  the  hand  of  man  and  not  the 
action  of  the  water  had  chiselled  and 
rounded  them.  The  length  of  the  cave 
proper  is  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  feet,  and  its  floor  is  formed  by 
the  water  which  enters  from  the 
sea  and  throws  up  "  flashing  and 
many-coloured  lights  against  pendent 
columns,"  against  the  white  calcareous 
stalagmites  which  form  the  roof,  and 
against  the  pillared  walls  of  this  weird 
cave.  The  lapping  of  the  sea  against 
the  base  of  the  cliffs  reverberates  and 
re-echoes  with  a  musical  intonation, 
swelling  to  a  thunderous  roar  during  a 
storm  or  tempest. 

Aareschlacht.  —  The  Rhine,  the 
Rhone  and  the  Aare  are  the  three 
most  important  rivers  of  Switzerland, 
and  all  three,  flowing  in  different 
directions,  have  their  source  within  a 
few  miles  of  each  other,  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  Alps,  where  the  Furka 
and  the  Grimsel  are  almost  neighbours. 
The  Rhine  flows  to  the  east,  then 
north  to  where  it  swells  out  into  the         fi'oio  w  l"-  <-'■  »'*«"  co. 

Lake    of    Constance,    followed    by    a  ™^  aareschlucht 

,       ,  1  ii.  r    11  A    mile    to    the    south    of    MeinitiBen   is  this    wonderful    gorge,  where  the 

westerly      course       down       the       falls       at  ^are.  .wolUn    by    the    mehed    glacier    .nows.  has  forced    a    passage  through 

Schaffhausen  to  Basle,  where  it  aban-       '^^  wooded  hiii  called  the  Kirchet. 

49 


754 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


dons  Helvetia.  The  Rhone,  on  the  other  hand,  flows  westwards  to  the  Lake  of  Geneva,  and,  on 
entering  French  territory,  hurries  south  to  the  Mediterranean.  The  Aare,  a  lesser  stream,  has  a 
double  honour  :  that  of  watering  the  valleys  of  the  Bernese  Oberland,  forming  on  its  way  the  lakes 
of  Thun  and  Brienz,  and  that  of  encircling  the  old  capital  of  Switzerland  before  joining  the  Rhine. 
Its  career  is  short  and  violent,  the  more  violent  the  nearer  its  source.  As,  aeons  ago,  its  turbulent 
waters  rushed  down  the  Haslital,  they  encountered  a  serious  obstacle  in  the  shape  of  a  wooded 
hill  called  the  Kirchet,  and  with  impetuous  wrath  they  set  about  gnawing  a  passage  through  the 
living  rock — narrow,  savage,  perpetually  spray-dashed.  Having  succeeded,  they  swept  merrily 
onward,  past  Meiningen  and  cosmopolitan  Interlaken,  to  the  citv  whose  emblem  is  a  brown  bear. 

The  gorge  of  the  Aare,  about  a  mile  to  the  south  of  Meiningen,  is,  with  the  cascades  of  Reichen- 
bach,  one  of  the  attractions  of  this  region — alas,  too  soon  to  be  vilified  by  cables  and  rails  for  an 
electric  train.      As  it  is,  the  steps,  tunnels,  galleries  and  iron  railings  which  enable  the  tourist  to 

follow  the  course  of  the  river  from 
one  end  of  the  gorge  to  the  other 
have  already  taken  away  much  of 
the  wild  spirit  of  the  place  ;  but 
they  were  a  necessary  evil,  as 
otherwise  it  would  have  been  im- 
possible to  penetrate  into  the 
chasm  of  seething  and  boiling 
water,  so  tumultuous  as  to  throw 
the  spray  in  clouds  of  water  to. 
the  right  and  to  the  left  in  its 
journey  of  a  mile  through  the 
Kirchet. 

Veswvius. — To  the  east  of 
Naples  is  the  mountain  of  Vesu- 
vius. It  stands  out  sharply  from 
the  horizon,  the  most  prominent 
landmark  to  the  dweller  in  the 
city,  over  which  it  appears  to 
preside,  like  some  vengeful  fate„ 
waiting  patiently  for  the  ap- 
pointed time  when  it  shall  pom- 
out  its  vials  of  wrath  and  over- 
whelm the  numberless  white  villas  crowded  on  the  rocky  slopes  from  the  shore  of  the  bay  to  Mount 
St.  Elmo. 

It  is  the  bulk  of  the  mountain  which  makes  it  appear  in  such  close  proximity,  for  in  reality 
it  is  about  six  and  a  half  miles  away  from  the  town.  Nevertheless,  the  distance  is  not  too  great  ta 
do  away  with  the  possibility  of  danger  from  an  eruption,  especially  as  the  whole  area  on  which  the 
town  rests  is  known  to  be  extremely  volcanic.  In  times  past  the  danger  zone  has  reached  very 
near.  There  have  flowed  from  the  mountain  streams  of  lava,  which,  if  their  course  had  been  in  the 
direction  of  Naples,  would  have  reached  not  far  short  of  the  city's  borders  ;  and  there  is  always  a 
certain  risk  from  the  showers  of  red-hot  ashes  and  scoriae  which  accompany  an  eruption. 

It  is  supposed  that  the  present  mountain,  rising  from  the  Campanian  plain,  is  only  the 
core,  or  the  inner  cone,  of  a  much  more  ancient  volcano,  which  had  an  immense  girth  and  of 
which  Monte  Somma,  a  little  to  the  north-west  of  Vesuvius  and  separated  from  the  mountain; 
by  the  Atrio  del  Cavallo,  is  the  only  remaining  portion.  If  this  curved  height  were  continued  round 
the  whole  belt  of  Mount  Vesuvius  it  would  form  the  circumference  of  the  ancient  height,  while  the 


'  .    . 

» 
\                                  1 

V 

■f 

s 

■  ^ 

^r 

V 
v 

X 

MOUNT    VESUVIUS. 

A  photograph   of  a   slight   eruption,   showing   the   particles  of   lava  and  volcanic 
ash  suspended   in    the  clouds  of  vapour. 


756 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


*^^^-  -^^i^  i^i^^-     'Z^      ^^  A%-^  '^ '  i 


^'^Vl'lWfit'  I  'TJi' 


PAo/o  by  pet-mission  o/] 


[.S.  /?.  Whiting. 


A    LAVA    FLOW.    MOUNT    VESUVIUS. 


The  pressure    brought  to  bear  on   the    cooled    lava    by  the    ever-increasing    stream    flowing    hot    fronn    the    crater  piles  it  up  into 
broken  masses  as  seen  in  this  photograph.     The  darkness  and  misty  effect  is  caused  by  the  (ailing  o(  fine  volcanic  ash. 

valley  of  the  Atrio  del  Cavallo,  which  to-day  is  sickle-shaped,  would  be  continued  to  form  an  immense 
crater,  shelving  downwards  to  an  immense  orifice  where  the  cone  of  the  present  Vesuvius  now  rises. 
Based  upon  this  supposition,  it  follows  that  at  one  time,  long  before  the  history  of  man,  a  terrific 
eruption  must  have  occurred  which  in  all  probability  caused  the  collapse  of  the  original  height  of 
the  first  mountain,  and  that,  as  time  passed  away,  a  succession  of  smaller  eruptions  threw  up  the 
material  which  gradually  went  to  form  a  smaller  mountain  and  a  new  cone.  Then  followed  a  long 
period  of  quiescence,  which  continued  till  far  into  historic  times  and  gave  rise  to  the  belief  that  the 
volcanic  qualities  of  the  mountain  were  dead  or  d3ing.  The  first  person  to  consider  seriously  the 
origin  of  the  volcano  is  Strabo,  who  hved  at  the  time  of  the  Emperor  Augustus  (circa  B.C.  70  to  circa 
A.D.  24),  and  who,  in  his  valuable  Miscellany,  declares  Vesuviys  to  have  come  into  being  by  the 
agency  of  eruptions.  Nevertheless,  in  his  time,  and  until  many  years  later,  the  sides  of  the  mountain 
were  covered  in  prolific  vineyards,  which  gave  rise  to  a  flourishing  wine  industry,  though  this  product 
was  rather  famous  for  quantity  than  quality.  It  was  in  a.d.  79  that  the  people  inhabiting  this 
district  were  to  receive  a  rude  awakening  from  their  imagined  security  ;  although  repeated  warnings 
of  the  danger  that  threatened  had  been  given  from  as  far  back  as  a.d.  63,  when  the  locahty  had  been 
shaken  to  its  very  foundations,  and  earthquakes  had,  on  several  occasions  following,  confirmed  the 
premonitions  of  the  first.  Nevertheless,  the  country  was  unprepared  for  the  first  known  eruption, 
which  was  one  of  appalling  violence.  Pliny,  in  his  letters  to  Tacitus,  as  has  been  mentioned  in  the 
article  on  Pompeii,  has  left  a  most  realistic  record  of  the  event,  but  perhaps  his  description  of  the 
appearance  of  the  smoking  cone  is  of  the  most  interest  to  us. 

"  On  the  24th  of  August,  almost  at  the  seventh  hour,  my  mother  showed  him  (the  elder  Pliny) 


Europe 


757 


a  cloud,  of  an  unwonted  shape  and  size.  From  a  distance  it  was  difficult  for  the  spectators  to  be 
sure  of  the  mountain  from  which  it  was  rising  (it  has  since  been  ascertained  to  have  been  the  one 
known  as  Vesuvius),  while  in  shape  it  was  not  at  all  unlike  a  mighty  tree  ;  especially  resembling 
a  pine,  for  it  had  an  immensely  tall  trunk  which,  when  it  reached  a  great  height,  divided  into  many 
branches.  I  believe  that  it  was  driven  up  by  an  expelling  blast  which,  as  it  died  away,  left  the 
cloud  unsupported,  or  else  the  formation,  destroyed  by  its  own  weight,  melted  away  and  was 
dispersed  broadcast.  Sometimes  the  cloud  was  white,  sometimes  murky  and  spotty,  on  account  of 
the  earth  and  ashes  with  which  it  was  charged." 

Many  times  since,  this  strange  appearance  of  a  pine  has  been  noticed  during  the  eruptions.  It 
is  caused  by  the  minute  particles  of  ash  which  are  held  suspended  in  the  vapour  ejected  with  much 
violence  from  the  orifice  in  the  mountain.  When  the  impeUing  force  of  its  projection  is  diminished 
and  the  mass  meets  the  heavier  pressure  of  the  cool  air,  it  disperses  far  and  wide,  covering  every- 
thing for  many  miles  with  a  dense  coating  of  ash.  In  the  eruptions  of  a.d.  472  and  1906  this  ash  is 
recorded  as  having  fallen  even  in  Constantinople.  There  is  another  phenomenon  usually  to  be  seen 
during  such  an  outburst.  Flame  appears  to  belch  forth  from  the  summit  of  the  burning  mountain. 
This  has  been  explained  as  sometimes  due  to  the  electricity,  which  is  often  discharged  with  great 
violence,  and  at  other  times  to  be  nothing  more  than  the  reflection  of  the  incandescent  mass 
seething  in  the  depths  of  the  crater  upon  the  vapour  which  hangs  over  the  volcano. 

Not  only  is  ash  and  vapour  ejected,  but  larger  masses  of  molten  substances  ;  of  these  the  largest 
are  known  as  "  Bombs  "  and  the  smaller  as  "  Scoriae."  They  are  often  composed  of  mineral 
substances  mixed  with  the  lava,  and  are  sometimes  full  of  crystals  produced  by  the  great  heat  to 
which  the  matter  has  been  subjected.     But  most  dreaded  of  all  the  effects  of  an  eruption  are  the 


Photo  by]  {The  Photochrom  Co.  Lid.. 

THE    CRATER.    MOUNT    VESUVIUS. 

A  fine  view  of   the  "Jaws  of   Deatfi."     Tfie  slope  from  llie    crater's    edge    is    composed    of    fine  shifting    ash,  which  slips 
away  at  every  footstep  and  affords  very  insecure  foothold. 


758 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


lava-streams,  which  pour  in  devastating  floods 
from  the  crater,  or,  when  the  pressure  is  very 
great,  from  the  vents  which  appear  in  the 
side  of  the  crater.  These  lava-flows  vary 
greatly  in  the  rate  with  which  they  spread 
over  the  ground,  depending  very  much  upon 
the  virulence  of  the  eruption.  In  1872  a 
stream  broke  forth  from  Vesuvius  and  covered 
the  valley  south  of  the  Observatory  Hill  at 
an  average  progress  of  four  miles  an  hour  ; 
but  many  of  the  streams  do  not  attain 
to  nearly  that  rapidity  of  motion,  and  all 
diminish  in  speed  as  the  lava  becomes  cool  and 
obstructs  the  passage  of  the  warmer  flood. 
It  is  this  obstruction  which  results  in  the 
piling  up  of  laval  deposits,  often  to  a  con- 
siderable height,  and  creates  the  appearance 
of  folds  in  the  mass  of  congealed  grey  stone. 
The  destruction  wrought  by  such  outbursts, 
as  may  be  imagined,  is  terrible ;  nothing 
stops  the  onward  flow  till  its  own  force  is 
checked,  and  the  course  of  a  stream  is  marked 
by  complete  desolation.  As  one  travels  in 
the  train  which  runs  from  Naples  to  Pompeii 
the  evidences  of  the  damage  inflicted  by  the 
last  great  outburst  of  1906  are  only  too  plain. 
At  one  time  the  line  passes  through  groves  of 
lemon  and  orange-trees,  which  in  the  spring 
are  laden  heavily  with  fruit.  Vineyards,  too, 
cover  the  ground,  and  not  an  inch  is  passed 
which  does  not  testify  to  the  amazing  fertility 
of  the  soil  ;  but  suddenly  the  orchards  cease  : 
the  deep  green  of  the  abundant  foHage  is 
replaced  by  barren  rock,  piled  many  feet  high. 
Not  a  blade  of  grass,  not  a  twig,  not  a  habi- 
tation is  visible  ;  all  the  land  is  given  up  to 
the  dull  grey-brown  of  the  lava-stream.  It  is 
cool  now,  but  it  is  desolate  and  barren.  Years  must  pass  away  before  any  sign  of  vegetation 
can  appear.  The  hard  crust  must  be  washed  by  the  rains  and  must  decompose  in  the  atmosphere 
till  it  shall  become  a  light  black  soil.  When  that  state  is  reached  it  can  be  planted  again  with 
vines  and  fruit  trees,  and  abundant  will  be  the  reward  of  the  planter,  for  no  soil  produces  such 
prolific  crops  as  volcanic  ;  but  as  it  is,  a  few  days  have  destroyed  the  labours  of  many  years,  and 
reduced  the  small  owners,  who  have  relied  on  the  produce  of  the  land  for  their  livelihood,  to 
penury.  The  courses  of  the  streams  are  clearly  defined,  for  the  vegetation  hugs  the  very  borders 
of  the  lava  flow. 


ALCAZAR. 


The  Courtyard  of  tKe  Maidens  is  ihe  largest  and  finest  of 
the  courtyards  in  tfie  Alcazar  at  Seville,  and  is  remarkable  for 
the  harmonious  proportions  of  its  parts.  In  the  arches  it  will 
be  observed  that  the  creators  have  abandoned  the  horseshoe 
lor  the  circular  or  slightly  ogival    type. 


Europe 


759 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 
By    CHARLES    R  UD  Y. 

Atcaz^Pf  Seville.- — The  Moorish  occupation  of  Spain  affected  the  national  character  of  the 
Spaniards  in  more  ways  than  is  generally  admitted.  In  art,  this  influence  would  have  predominated 
even  after  the  fall  of  Granada,  had  not  the  Itahan  Renaissance — as  far  as  Spain  herself  is 
concerned  a  purely  spurious 
and  unsympathetic  movement 
— swamped  the  country  and 
practically  killed  the  nascent 
home  art.  This  latter  was  a 
combination  of  Oriental  and 
Christian  arts,  but  original 
enough  to  deserve  a  name  of 
its  own,  Mudejar,  from  mude- 
jares,  the  Moslems  living  under 
Christian  domination.  During 
the  years  of  the  reconquest  of 
Spain  from  the  hands  of 
the  Moors,  this  peculiar  art 
blossomed  out,  leaving  here  a 
perfect  specimen  of  mural 
decoration  (Sahagun),  there  an 
ornate  chapel  (Cathedral  of 
Toledo),  until  it  attained  an 
unequalled  degree  of  excellence 
in  the  Alcazar  of  Seville,  the 
construction  of  which  dates 
through  many  centuries,  and 
which  is  now  used  as  one 
of  the  palaces  of  the  royal 
family. 

Peter  the  Cruel,  the  first 
of  the  Christian  sovereigns  to 
remove  his  capital  to  Seville, 
began  the  palace  on  the  site 
of  a  Roman  praetorium  and 
of  a  Moorish  citadel — whence 
the  name  alcazar,  which  sig- 
nifies castle.  The  king  was  at 
this  time  still  madly  in  love 
with  his  beautiful  mistress,  Maria  de  Padilla,  and  it  was  to  please  her  that  he  planted  the  beautiful 
grounds  on  the  bank  of  the  Guadalquivir  with  orange-trees  and  palms.  Successive  monarchs  have 
enlarged  and  beautified  the  garden,  until  to-day  it  is  the  pride  of  Spain,  and  contains  among  other 
attractions,  a  maze  and  biirladores,  or  surprise  fountains,  which  take  the  unwelcome  visitor  unawares> 
and  give  him  a  cold  douche — not  unpleasant  in  Seville  on  a  hot  summer's  day.     In  the  gardens. 


Photo  byl 


The  Photochrom  Co.  Ltd. 
ALCAZAR,    SEVILLE. 
dF    the    arched    doorways    from    the    Hall    ot    the    Ambassadors 
into  the  adjoining  corridor. 


Photo  by] 


[_The  Photochrom  Co.  Ltd. 
ALCAZAR.    SEVILLE. 
The    Hall    of    the    Ambassadors,    which    wa«    the    ihrone-room    ot    Peter    the    Cruel,    is    as    gorgeous    as    its    namesake    in    the 
Alhambra.     It    was    here    that    Charles    V.,    the    moat    powerful    of    Spain's    monarchs,    was    wedcaed,  amidst    scenes    of    unusual 
splendour  and  in  surroundings  that  are  unique  in   their  genre. 


Europe 


761 


moreover,  is  to  be  seen  the  Padilla's  bath,  where  she  used  to  take  her  morning  dip,  and  where, 
as  the  chronicles  tell  us,  the  courtiers  gathered  after  the  bath  and,  in  order  to  gain  favour 
with  the  ruler  and  his  mistress,  drank  the  bath  dry.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  souvenirs  of  the  days  of 
Peter  the  Cruel  abound  in  the  Alcazar  :  here  he  murdered  his  brother  Fadrique,  and  there  Abu  Said 
of  Granada — the  latter  for  the  sake  of  a  ruby  which  he  later  gave  to  the  Black  Prince  and  which 
now  belongs  to  the  Crown  jewels  of  England.  Beside  the  door  are  to  be  seen  the  heads  of  four 
judges,  whom  the  despot  had  executed  for  mal-dispensing  justice.  The  monarch's  room  is  on  the 
second  floor  of  the  palace,  whereas  on  the  ground  floor,  adjoining  the  Hall  of  Ambassadors,  are 
the  Padilla's  apartments. 

From  the  street  the  palace  has  more  the  appearance  of  a  mediaeval  castle  than  of  a  fairy 
dwelling  set  among  orange-trees  ;  but  seen  from  the  garden,  a  totally  different  impression  is 
obtained.  The  far-projecting  roof  of  the  low  building  seems  to  hold  up  a  frieze  of  drooping 
stalactites,  and  these  in  their  turn  give  birth  to  a  row  of  ajimez  windows,  with  their  double 
horseshoe  arch  supported  by  slender  pillars  of  purest  white.  In  the  interior  the  play  of  shadow 
and  light,  of  gold  which  is  sunlight,  and  of  a  blue  as  transparent  as  are  the  tones  of  the 
south,  is  intermingled  with  green,  representing  foliage.  The  visitor  therefore  emerges  from 
the  grounds  surrounding  the 
palace  to  enter  another  gar- 
den, equally  exquisite  and 
almost  as  natural.  This  is 
characteristic  of  the  art  of  the 
Arabs  ;  their  interiors  are  not 
gloomy,  their  mosques  are  not 
buried  in  shadow  as  are  our 
Gothic  piles.  From  narrow, 
winding,  tortuous  streets  that 
are  filthy  and  uninteresting, 
the  master  enters  the  forbid- 
ding-looking door  of  his  house 
and  finds  himself  in  a  flowered 
patio,  or  courtyard,  from 
whence  he  penetrates  into  his 
apartments,  where  the  flashing 
colours  of  a  Saharan  oasis 
are  brought  vividly  to  his 
mind,  the  while  the  fountain 
splashes  on  marble  or  tessel- 
lated tiles  with  a  tingling 
music  all  its  own.  We  realize 
this  peculiarity  when  wander- 
ing through  the  rooms  and 
halls  of  the  lower  story  of 
the  Alcazar  at  Seville,  and, 
whilst  admiring  the  rich 
dome  of  the  Hall  of  Ambas- 
sadors, the  splendour  of  carved 
and  painted  ceilings — arteso- 
nados,  they  are  called — the 
pillars    in     the    Patio    of    the  ■ 


Photo  hyl 


[The  I'hotochrom  Co.  Ltd. 


ALCAZAR.    SEVILLE. 


Though  less  pure  in  style  than  the  Courtyard  of  the  Maidens,  the  Courtyard  of 
the  Dolls  can  boast  of  a  running  frieze  of  a  new  design.  This  is  a  welcome  change 
from  the  usual  stalactite  motive  ;  on  the  other  hand,  the  view  through  the  doorway 
towards  the  apartments  of   the   Padilla  is  essentially  Oriental. 


762 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


Maidens,  the  glazed  tiles  in  the  apartments  of  Charles  V.,  or  the  quaint  figures  in  the  Courtyard 
of  the  Dolls,  we  cannot  fail  to  wonder  at  the  genius  which  created  such  a  monument,  the  one  and 
only  of  its  kind,  where  all  is  cool  and  yet  all  is  bathed  in  sunlight.  And  if  a  line  is  to  be  drawn 
between  the  art  of  the  Arabs,  as  exemplified  by  the  Alhambra,  and  the  Mudejar  art  movement 
of  which  the  Alcazar  is  the  most  perfect  type,  it  will  show  on  the  one  hand  a  conventional  form— 
ever-varying  in  geometrical  designs,  it  is  true,  but  conventional  nevertheless— and  on  the  other  a 
somewhat  similar  conception,  but  freed  from  academic  axioms  based  on  the  Koran,  and  at  liberty  to 
roam,  unfettered  like  the  desert  wind,  according  to  the  personal  imagination  of  the  artist-creator. 
Never  has  more  freedom  in  art  been  known  than  in  the  palmy  days  of  Mudejar  art,  and  this  very 
freedom,  combined  with  Charles  V.'s  inordinate  love  for  everything  smacking  of  Italy  and  hatred 
for  anything  Spanish,  must  be  looked  upon  as  the  primary  cause  of  its  premature  death. 


^mmtfm'.-i; 


Photo  by^  {The  Photochiom  Co.  Lid. 

MONT    ST.-MICHEL. 
This  island    served  as  one  of   the  principal    temple-fortresses    of    the    order    of    knight-nionks    which    arose    in    the    thirteenth 
century.      Here   the  Order  of    St.  Michel  was    founded  by   Louis    XI.  in   1469,  and    the    meeting-place    of    the    order    was    in    the 
splendid  Hall  of  Knights. 

Moni  St.-Mkhel. — The  Latin  countries  have  abbeys,  monasteries  and  priories  galore,  and  the 
majority  are  situated  among  lovely  surroundings,  now  peacefully  hidden  among  orchards  and 
vineyards,  now  boldly  prominent  on  some  commanding  height.  Mont  Saint-Michel  belongs  to  the 
latter  category,  and,  if  a  comparison  is  to  be  drawn,  it  can  be  mentioned  en  passant  that  it  closely 
resembles  our  St.  Michael's  Mount,  off  Penzance,  in  Cornwall.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  latter  was  a 
priory  ruled  over  by  its  Norman  namesake,  into  whose  keeping  it  came  after  the  Conquest.  Perhaps 
there  is  more  than  a  mere  coincidence  in  the  similarity  between  both  granite  isles  and  in  the  identity 
of  their  names  ;  doubtless  some  Benedictine  monk  accompanying  the  Norman  host  was  reminded 
of  his  fortress- abbey  off  the  north-western  coast  of  France  when  he  came  to  Mount's  Bay,  and  obtained 
it  from  Wilham  for  his  order.  We  know  that  the  Norman  abbey  came  in  for  a  fair  share  of 
the  Conqueror's  spoils,  and  St.  Michael's  Mount  was  most  likely  one  of  the  minor  gifts.  When 
Henry  V.  deprived  alien  orders  of  priories  in  England,  St.  Michael's  Mount  lost  the  greater  part 


^-LJJ  Tit  .  ? 


»    ^ 


IT/ie  J'hulochi-om  Co.  Lid. 


Photo  dji] 

ULM    CATHEDRAL. 
The  high«t  church-lower  in   the  world  belongs  to  ihi.  Cathedral:  and  not  only  i.  it  notable  by  it.  measurements:   it  is 

also  a  magnificent  specimen  of  Gothic  architecture. 


a: 

Q. 

(0     0 

< 

4)     "5 

o 

d 

«    o 

f- 

H  •:: 

O 

u 
10 

O 

0 

w 

:»i 

H 

•* 

I 

_c    c 

^ 

'"o  -c 

« .s 

w 

-a!  " 

X 

8-0 

H 

>i 

*i    a 

c  — 

0    a 

«l       V 

V      — 

C     si 

Europe 


765 


of  its  religious  significance,  greater  importance  being  attached  to  its  castle  than  to  the  chapel 
of  St.  Michael.  The  French  abbey,  on  the  other  hand,  grew  in  power  and  authority.  In  1469 
Louis  XL  instituted  the  Order  of  St.  Michel,  and  it  was  in  the  Hall  of  Knights  that  the 
chevaliers  came  together  annually.  In  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  the  formidable 
donjon  was  used  by  the  monarchs  to  imprison  pohtical  delinquents  ;  in  the  nineteenth  the  abbey 
was  restored  after  a  fire,  and  is  now  the  property  of  the  Commission  of  Historical  Monuments. 

The  island  on  which  stands  the  abbey  is  situate  six  miles  to  the  north  of  Pontorson  in  the 
department  of  the  Manche.  It  is  a  towering  mass  of  granite,  three  thousand  feet  in  circumference  at 
the  base,  one  hundred  and  sixty-five  feet  high,  and  distant  one  mile  from  the  shore,  to  which  it  is 
joined  by  a  causeway.  The  fortress-abbey,  properly  speaking,  stands  on  the  steepest  part,  facing 
north  and  west,  the  slopes  on  the  other  sides  being  covered  with  houses.  A  strong  wall,  machicolated 
and  turreted,  and  an  almost  unique  specimen  of  the  military  architecture  of  the  thirteenth  century, 
surrounds  the  buildings,  and 
possesses  but  one  gate,  through 
which  climbs  the  only  street  of 
which  the  island  can  boast.  At 
the  upper  end  of  the  street  stands 
the  portico  of  the  chatelet,  which, 
like  the  majority  of  the  buildings 
constituting  the  abbey,  is  three 
stories  high.  The  floor  of  the 
church,  which  crowns  the  highest 
point  of  the  island,  lies  on  a  level 
with  the  third  story  of  the  adjoin- 
ing buildings.  The  result  is  an 
unusual  appearance  of  forbidding 
and  compact  strength — an  effect 
that  is  heightened  by  the  extreme 
severity  of  the  architecture,  which 
is  Norman-Gothic  of  the  purest. 
The  handsomest  part  of  the  en- 
semble is  the  cloister,  with  its 
double  rows  of  piUars  supporting 
pointed  arches  with  delicate  floral 
designs  carved  in  the  interstices  ; 
•whereas  the  most  romantic  apartment  is  the  Salle  de  Chevaliers,  where  knighthood  strutted  to  the 
clanking  of  spurs  and  the  clinking  of  chain -armour. 

Ulm. — Cathedrals  possess  a  personality  hke  people — one  personal  touch,  as  it  were,  that 
remains  ever  uppermost  in  the  memory  of  those  who  have  visited  it.  The  wealth  of  Toledo  and 
the  grace  of  Leon,  the  stone  carving  at  Amiens  and  the  sobriety  of  Poitiers,  the  cupola  of  St.  Sophia 
(it  was  a  cathedral  before  the  muezzin  called  from  the  minaret)  and  the  stained  windows  at  Cologne 
— these  are  the  touches  which  we  remember,  and  they  synthetize  our  impressions.  The  cathedral 
at  Ulm,  in  southern  Germany,  situate  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  Danube,  in  Wiirtemberg,  is  no 
exception  to  this  rule,  and  its  tower  is  its  personal  note — tall,  sky-piercing,  ever  visible,  the  highest 
church-tower  in  the  world,  measuring  from  ground  to  spire  five  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet.  It 
is  a  landmark  for  miles  around  ;  it  can  be  seen  from  the  campanile  at  Constance,  on  the  lake 
of  the  same  name,  and  it  can  be  perceived  on  a  clear  day  from  a  greater  distance  still — from  the 
Santis,  the  highest  peak  in  northern  Switzerland,  on  the  confines  of  St.  Gallen  and  Appenzell. 
Conversely,  the  view  from  the  tower,  along  the  Danube,  over  the  orchards  of  southern  Germany  to 


I'lioto  byl 


[The  Photoclirom  Co.  Ltd. 
THE     BLUE    GROTTO.    CAPRI. 


Perhaps  the  best  known  o(  all  the  caves  in  Capri.  The  mouth  is  particu- 
larly small,  and  all  light  comes  into  the  cave  through  the  blue  waters,  creating 
the  curious  effect  of  colour  which  gives   the  cave   its  name. 


766 


The   Wonders   of  the  World 


the  Bavarian  Alps,  and  northwards  to  the 

hills    of    Wiirtemberg,    with    their    royal 

pleasure-palaces,  is  truly  grand,  repaying 

Ky^   ~  ^^^^^P^BKBB^  ^^^^d^^HH     ^^^  wearisome  climb  up  the  spiral  stairs  in 

^^^         ^^^^H^ENI^Hl.  -^^m^^^^E^B     the  interior  of  the  polygonal  tower. 

As  for  the  cathedral  itself,  it  ranks 
second  in  size  in  Germany,  the  cathedral 
at  Cologne  being  the  larger.  It  was  begun 
in  the  Early  Gothic  style  in  the  fourteenth 
century,  but  was  not  completed  until  the 
sixteenth.  The  nineteenth  century  saw  a 
thorough  restoration  of  the  handsome  pile, 
and  the  introduction  of  the  large  organ 
consisting  of  one  hundred  and  nine  stops 
and  six  thousand,  six  hundred  and  sixteen 
pipes — one  of  the  most  magnificent  organs 
in  the  land  par  excellence  of  organs.  Note- 
worthy also  are  the  choir-stalls,  dating 
from  the  fifteenth  century.  They  were 
carved  by  one  Syrlin,  and  are  not  to  be 
rivalled  in  Germany.  The  carver,  like 
Master  Mateo,  of  Santiago  de  Campostela 
fame,  wished  his  features  and  those  of 
his  mother  to  be  perpetuated,  and  so  he 
carved  them  on  two  of  the  stools,  where 
they  are  to  be  seen  to  this  day.  Among 
other  figures  due  to  his  imagination  are 
sibyls,  and  the  cardinal  virtues  and  vices, 
the  former  being  represented,  as  is  only 
too  natural,  by  good  Christians,  and  the 
latter  by  bad  pagans. 

Capri. — As  the  visitor  at  Naples  looks  across  the  deep  blue  waters  of  the  bay  he  will  see  three 
islands  break  up  the  wide  horizon.  To  the  west  Procida  and  Ischia  first  take  the  eye,  for  the  last- 
named  is  an  island  of  some  size  ;  then  directly  to  the  south  lies  Capri,  its  picturesque  outline  dimmed 
by  the  blue  distance,  with  a  scattered  group  of  white  villas  nestling  between  the  towering  masses  of 
rock.  For  Capri  is  formed  of  two  mountains,  the  highest  of  which,  Mount  Solaro,  lies  to  the  east, 
rising  abruptly  from  the  sea  to  a  height  of  nearly  two  thousand  feet.  The  whole  of  the  island  is 
composed  of  Apennine  limestone,  which  proves  it  to  have  been  at  one  time  connected  with  the 
mainland,  and  to  have  formed  part  of  the  peninsula  of  Sorrento.  These  rocks  form  the  chief  interest 
of  Capri,  and  their  unique  beauty  is  worthy  of  record  among  Europe's  natural  wonders.  Perhaps 
of  all  the  grottos  which  the  sea  has  carved  out  at  the  island's  base  the  Blue  Grotto  is  the 
most  famous.  It  is  difficult  of  entry,  for  the  opening  is  hardly  three  feet  high ;  but  when  inside  the 
traveller,  after  he  has  become  accustomed  to  the  dim  light,  finds  himself  in  some  enchanted  cave. 
Everything  around  is  blue — blues  of  varying  shades  and  colours,  from  the  soft  tint  on  a  pigeon's 
wing  to  the  richness  of  deep  lapis-lazuli.  The  hmestone  rocks  above  are  grey-blue,  the  caverns  which 
are  to  be  seen  at  the  back  of  the  cave  are  indigo.  But  the  greatest  wonder  of  all  is  the  sea  which  fills 
the  grotto.  It  is  no  longer  sea,  but  a  lake  of  molten  metal,  every  wave  carrying  a  brilliant  reflection, 
which  gives  it  the  appearance  of  an  opaque  but  liquid  flood.  At  the  same  time  it  is  a  mass  of 
shifting  lights  with  rare  and  beautiful  colourings,  which  cannot  be  described.      The  only  comparison 


Photo  bo]  If''.  /!,  Ilnllnnci' 

THE  NATURAL  ARCH.  CAPRI. 

A  splendid  example  of   Nature's  architecture  to  be  seen  amongst   the 
rugged  scenery  of   Capri. 


Europe 


767 


possible  is  with  the  sky  at  sunset,  where  the  deep  blue  melts  into  a  wonderful  green  so  subtly- 
blended  that  it  is  impossible  to  define  each  separate  colour.  Imagine  such  a  sky  in  a  state  of 
unrest,  throwing  off  silver  shafts  of  light,  with  ripple  following  ripple  into  the  darkness  of  the  cave. 
That  is  the  appearance  of  the  waters  which  fill  the  grotto.  There  are  some  youths  bathing  in  the 
deeper  recesses  ;  one  of  them  plunges  in.  As  soon  as  he  is  immersed  in  the  water  he  is  become 
silver ;  brilliant,  polished  silver,  every  limb.  The  magic  of  the  cave  has  fallen  upon  him  and 
he  is  no  longer  human  ;  but  a  silver  merman  disporting  himself  in  the  fairies'  pool. 

But  we  are  bewitched.  Let  us  examine  the  cause  of  this  wonderful  transformatian  scene. 
It  is  brought  about  by  the  light  which  filters  in  through  an  opening  far  underneath  the  waters 
of  the  Mediterranean.  This  tinges  the  light  with  their  colour  as  it  makes  its  way  upwards  to  the 
surface  of  the  water.  But  other  caves  in  this  island  are  wonderful,  although  by  different  means.  The 
White  Cave  has  some  magnificent  stalactites,  which  are  particularly  beautiful  in  the  inner  cove 
where  the  light  playing  on  them  produces  varied  and  lovely  effects.  The  Natural  Arch  is  another 
wonder  of  Capri  and  is  situated  near  the  White  Grotto  ;  it  is  a  splendid  work  of  Nature,  who 
has  here  hewn  for  herself  a  triumphal  monument  amongst  these  rugged  and  imposing  cliffs. 

Rank  Sione,  Norway. — The  word  rune  of  the  old  Germanic  and  Icelandic  languages  signifies 
letter,  though  the  deeper  meaning  of 
mystery  which  characterizes  it  to-day 
was  likewise  attached  to  it  when  the 
old  North  folk,  gaining  an  insight  into 
sign-writing,  thanks  most  likely  to  the 
intermediary  of  Phoenician  traders, 
concocted  an  alphabet  which  was  as 
intelligible  as  hieroglyphics  to  the 
minds  of  the  vulgar  illiterate.  This 
alphabet — in  reality  there  are  three — 
was  used,  with  more  or  less  literary 
effect,  to  commemorate  heroic  deeds 
or  the  names  and  doings  of  successful 
warriors.  As  a  rule  they  were  inscribed 
on  stones  and  placed  in  prominent 
positions,  or  else  beside  or  on  top  of 
graves — at  a  later  date  these  latter 
being  replaced  by  stones,  with  or 
without  inscribed  runes,  buried  in  the 
graves  themselves. 

Scandinavia  and  Denmark  are  the 
richest  fields  for  runic  mementoes, 
and  a  fine  example  is  the  stone  at 
Trune,  Norway,  with  its  inscription  : 
"I,  Wiwar,  made  these  runes."  Who 
this  Wiwar  was,  what  his  deeds  and 
feats,  is  matter,  not  for  the  historian, 
who  cannot  pierce  beyond  the  mist 
of  time,  but  for  the  poet,  who 
can  imagine  some  bold  warrior  or 
passionate  lover.  We  can  surmise, 
however,  that  the  man  whose  name 
has  been   brought   down  to  us  to-day 


RUNIC 

Wiwar.    made   these   runes. 

It   is  supposed   to  date    from   the  sixth  century  of  our  era 


STONE,    NORWAY. 

'   is   the   inscription  on   this    stone  at  Trune.. 


768 


The   Wonders  of  the  World 


lived  towards  the  sixth  century  of  our 
era,  because  the  range  of  discovered 
runic  inscriptions  seems  to  date  from  a 
period  between  the  fifth  and  ninth 
centuries. 

The  oldest  alphabet  consisted  of 
twenty-four  letters,  beginning  with 
the  letter  "  f,"  and  the  words 
were  written  from  right  to  left. 
Another  alphabet  followed  of  twenty- 
seven  letters,  and  this  is  usually  written 
from  left  to  right ;  whereas  a  third,  a 
composite  form,  was  written  indiffer- 
ently from  right  to  left  or  from  left  to 
right.  It  is  not  only  on  stones  that 
runes  have  been  inscribed.  The  best 
examples  are  on  metal  objects,  such  as 
the  gold  bradea  in  Vadstena,  Sweden, 
the  steel  knife  found  in  the  Thames 
and  now  in  the  British  Museum,  and 
the  Thorsbjerg  shield-buckle  in  the 
Museum  at  Kiel.  An  exquisitely 
wrought  gold  horn  was  discovered  at ' 
Gellehus,  near  Tondem,  in  1734,  but 
thieves  got  possession  of  the  priceless 
relic  and  melted  it  down,  luckily  not 
before  a  plaster  copy  had  been  taken  of 
the  inscription. 

The  Maiierhorn. — To  enumerate  the  snow-capped  peaks  which  peer  eternally  down  into  the 
valleys  and  vales  of  Switzerland  would  be  a  sorry  task,  but  to  pick  out  one  of  the  many  and 
describe  its  beauties  and  charms  is  a  labour  of  love,  not  only  for  the  sturdy  climber  who,  scaling 
fierce  rocks  in  the  summer  months,  lives  his  experiences  over  again  of  a  winter's  evening,  but  also  for 
the  casual  tourist  and,  in  a  higher  degree,  for  the  native  dweller  on  Alpine  meadows.  Moreover, 
if  priority  be  given  to  any  one  peak,  surely  the  lordly  Matterhorn,  gazing  almost  contemptuously 
down  on  cosmopolitan  Zermatt,  has  claims  which  few  will  dare  dispute.  It  is  a  noble  pile  of  gneiss 
and  glacier,  a  pyramid  by  nature,  a  gigantic  cone.  It  is  fierce  in  its  passions,  reminding  us  of 
some  feudal  baron  gnawed  with  haughty  pride.  Stones  and  rocks  roll  down  its  sides,  eager  for  a 
victim  ;  avalanches  slide  down  its  slopes  and  topple  with  a  loud  crash,  heard  miles  away,  over  a 
yawning  chasm ;  between  it  and  Zermatt  lie  the  Leichenbretter,  literally  "  boards  for  carrying 
the  dead,"  and  behind  it,  on  the  Italian  side,  stretches  the  Linceul,  or  winding-sheet.  Surely 
.an  ominous  peak,  inspiring  dread,  and  the  impression  of  awe  is  strengthened  if  a  visit  be  paid 
to  the  small  cemetery  on  the  edge  of  the  village  ;  here  are  buried  some  of  the  mountain's  victims, 
the  first  being  three  Englishmen  and  a  guide.  They  were  of  Mr.  Whymper's  party  which  reached 
the  top  of  the  Matterhorn  in  July,  forty-six  years  ago,  the  first  to  scale  the  virgin  summit.  But 
•only  three  returned  to  Zermatt ;  the  others,  Lord  Francis  Douglas,  the  Rev.  C.  Hudson  and  Mr. 
Hadlow,  together  with  the  guide,  Michel  Croz,  fell  four  thousand  feet  down  a  precipice,  and  would 
have  dragged  the  three  surviving  climbers  along  with  them  had  not  the  rope  which  bound  them 
ieen  cut  by  the  teeth  of  a  jagged  rock. 

The  Matterhorn  is  not  the  highest  peak  in  the  region  where  it  stands.     Its  fourteen  thousand 


Photo  htf} 


IDonald  McLeiih. 


THE    MATTERHORN. 


i  kutochrotn  Co.,  Ltd. 


THE    MATTERHORN. 


There  are   few  peaks  of  the  Alps  so  well  known,  or  so  easily  recognised,  as  this  noble  mass  of  gneiss  and  glacier,  which,  rising 
to  a  hei>;ht  of  over  14,000  feet,  stands  like  a  guardian  over  Zermatt  Valley. 


Europe 


769 


seven  hundred  and  eighty-two  feet  are  easily  surpassed  by  the  Dufourspitze  of  the  Monte  Rosa 
and  by  the  Dom  of  the  Mischabelhorner.  Nevertheless,  it  is  the  clou,  the  great  attraction  at 
Zermatt.  This  is  due  to  its  imposing  shape  and  its  bold  outline.  The  last  and  noblest  scion  of 
a  spur  or  ridge  which  dwindles  away  to  the  Italian  plains  on  its  southern  side,  it  stands  forth  alone, 
apparently  lost  in  its  own  grandeur  and  importance,  hardly  deigning  to  look  at  the  fields  of  frozen 
snow  at  its  feet.  Magnificent  it  looks  from  the  height  of  the  Gornergrat,  reached  from  Zermatt  by 
means  of  a  rack-and-pinion  railway,  but  perhaps  the  best  view  of  the  solitary  giant  is  obtained 
from  points  of  vantage  in  the  deeply-wooded  Zmuttal.  Here  green  trees  form  the  middle  ground, 
and  lording  it  over  them,  glistens  the  Matterhorn — or  Mont  Cervin  as  the  French  have  deemed 
wise  to  baptize  it — and  no  other  mountain  or  peak  rises  skywards  to  detract  from  its  splendour.  It 
is  at  sunset,  however,  when  the  snows  on  its  rugged  sides  blush  in  a  warm  glow,  and  send  a  thrill  of 


-J 

THE    MATTERHORN. 
A  photograph    taken  in   the    early    morning,   showing  the  rugged    peak  of  the    Matterhorn  to  the  right  and  the  vast  expanse 

of  sun-Iit  clouds  overspreading  the  valley  of  Zermatt. 

roseatre- vermilion  over  rocks  and  cliffs,  that  the  stupendous  cone  is  unique  among  mountains,  the 
Alpengliihe  giving  it  a  crown  that  no  peak  is  worthier  to  wear. 

The  Giant's  Causeway. — The  Irish  would  not  be  true  to  the  spirit  of  Celtic  mysticism  and  poetry 
had  they  not  woven  around  one  of  the  wonders  of  the  world,  the  Giant's  Causeway  in  the  County 
of  Antrim,  a  mesh  of  legend,  folklore  and  romance.  The  existence  of  fields  upon  fields  of  gigantic, 
truncated  pyramids  and  columns  of  varying  polygonal  sides  had  to  be  explained,  as  also  that  of 
the  Porticoon  and  Dunkerry  caves,  into  the  darkness  of  which  boats  are  rowed  on  the  swell  of  the 
waves,  and  in  whose  mysterious  depths  sounds  reverberate  as  from  the  cannon's  mouth.  Here, 
where  the  columns  rise,  forming,  as  it  were,  the  back  to  a  low  step,  is  My  Lady's  Wishing  Chair  ;  there 
where  the  basaltic  mass  takes  a  weird  shape,  are  the  Nurse  and  Child  who  were  petrified  by  a  giant 
because  his  wife  had  betrayed  him — so  runs  the  legend.  And,  in  a  similar  strain  run  hundreds  of 
legends,  the  chronicling  of  which  would  constitute  an  epic  poem  of  giants  unparalleled  in  the  history 
of  literature.  The  giant.  Fin  MacCoul,  would  be  the  hero,  for  he  it  was  who  is  reputed  to  have  built 
the  Great  Causeway  across  the  sea  to  Scotland,  so  that  his  enemy,  the  Scotch  giant,  might  step  over 

50 


770 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


high  and  dry  to  get  the  thrashing  he  so  richly  deserved.  The  Giants'  Amphitheatre,  with  its  perfect 
tiers  of  broken  columns  overlooking  the  bay,  was  built  by  him  to  amuse  his  guests,  and  when  he 
breathed  heavily,  the  pipes  of  the  Giants'  Organ,  likewise  formed  of  high  columns,  played  a  tune 
the  exact  notes  of  which  have  presumably  been  lost  to  us. 

It  would  be  impossible  within  the  limits  of  a  short  paragraph  to  do  justice  to  the  strangeness 
and  poetry  of  the  Giant's  Causeway.  It  is  a  honeycombed  series  of  beaches  without  a  grain  of  sand, 
flanked  by  the  ruins  of  two  castles,  Dunseverick  and  Danluce,  situate  high  above  the  sea  on  isolated 
crags.  Nor  must  the  Carrick-a-Rede  be  forgotten,  that  lonely  rock  island  in  the  path  of  the  salmon 
shoals.  To  reach  it  during  the  season  fishermen  sling  a  rope  bridge  between  it  and  the  mainland, 
eighty  feet  above  the  roaring  waves.  The  accompanying  photograph  will  give  but  a  passing 
impression  of  what  is  surely  one  of  the  unique  spots  on  our  globe.  Unfortunately  it  cannot  do 
justice  to  the  whole  range  of  wonderful  beach,  for  the  very  simple  reason  that  no  two  spots  resemble 

each  other,  but  are  as  varied  in  form  as 
are  the  legend  or  romance  attached  to 
each.  The  size  of  the  columns  and  pyra- 
mids varies  likewise,  some  attaining  a 
height  of  thirty  feet.  Now  they  are  close- 
fitting,  forming  a  level  tessellated  floor, 
now  loose  and  irregular.  At  times  their 
regularity  is  so  perfect  as  to  appear  to  be 
wrought  by  hand  and  to  have  been  arti- 
ficially grouped  into  colonnades  of  most 
exquisite  harmony  and  design  ;  at  others, 
all  is  wild  and  broken  and  thrown  about 
as  though  giants  had  really  spent  their 
time  and  their  strength  in  destroying  what 
they  are  reputed  to  have  created. 

Constantinople. — The  capital  of  the 
Ottoman  Empire — Stamboul  as  it  is  known 
to  the  Turks,  and  Constantinople  to  the 
Christians — is  one  of  the  most  beautifully 
situated  cities  in  the  world.  Until  recently, 
that  is,  prior  to  the  overthrow  of  the  Hami- 
dian  rule,  it  lay  somewhat  off  the  beaten 
track,  but  the  new  regime  has  vastly  im- 
proved Turkish  intercourse  with  the  rest 
of  the  civilized  world,  and  to-day  the  dirty  streets  of  the  old  town  are  filled  during  the  season  with 
tourists  eager  to  become  acquainted  with  some  of  the  marvels  of  the  Sublime  Porte.  But  it  can, 
with  justice,  be  asserted  that  nine-tenths  of  the  charm  of  the  city  are  due  to  its  surroundings — 
the  setting,  without  which  it  would  not  be  the  pearl  of  the  Mediterranean.  There  is  hardly  a  more 
wonderful  approach  to  any  maritime  port,  either  in  the  Old  or  the  New  World,  and  the  first  view 
of  Modern  Byzantium,  as  seen  from  the  boat  sailing  up  the  Sea  of  Marmara,  is  a  sight  never  to 
be  forgotten.  There  is  the  intensely  blue  water  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  the  intense  blue  of  the 
sky.  A  bower  of  green,  with  palaces  and  minarets  glistening  from  afar  among  the  trees  of  an  almost 
exotic  exuberance,  seems  to  rise  out  of  the  sea  ahead  of  the  steamer's  prow.  Then  the  vessel 
enters  the  Bosphorus,  with  Asia  on  the  east  and  Europe  on  the  west  :  the  former  is  represented 
by  Scutari,  where  the  Germans  have  erected  the  fermmus  station  of  the  Anatolian  railway,  and  (he 
latter  is  heralded  by  the  Serai  of  the  Sultan  in  its  extensive  park.  Ahead,  the  European  quarters 
climb  the  wooded  hillside  of  Pera,  emerging  as  it  were  from  the  commercial  docks    of    Galatea, 


From  atereo  copyrhjUl  hi/'\ 

THE    GIANTS    CAUSEWAY. 


[//.  a.  n'hile  Co. 


On  the  northern  coast  of  Ireland  this  strange  formation  of  columnar 
rocks  is  to  be  found,  continuing  along  the  shore  for  a  distance  of 
about  four  miles. 


772 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


I'Uolo  by} 


[y.  W.  McLdlan. 


SANTA    SOPHIA.    CONSTANTINOPLE. 


This  no'ole  church  is  the  grandest  example  of   Byzantine  architecture  and   was  built   in  the  first  half  of  the  sixth  century. 
The  most   important   feature  is  the  dome,   which  is   107   feet   in  diameter  and   182   feet  in  height. 

resembling  more  closely  an  Italian  port  than  part  of  the  empire  whose  emblem  is  the  Crescent  and 
not  the  Cross.  Time  was  when  Constantinople,  head  of  the  great  Roman  Empire  of  Constantine, 
was  Christian,  and  no  Moslem  had  set  his  foot  on  European  soil.  Then  St.  Sophia  was  the  most 
important  religious  edifice  in  Christendom  :  to-day  it  is  a  mosque,  and  the  Koran  stands  in  the 
mihrab  facing  south-east  in  the  direction  of  Mecca.  Behind  Constantinople,  properly  speaking, 
and  separating  it  from  Pera  and  Galatea,  lies  the  Golden  Horn  with  its  two  bridges  spanning 
this  western  arm  of  the  Bosphorus.  Beyond  the  second  bridge  are  the  naval  docks  ;  between 
it  and  the  first  bridge,  and  extending  to  a  certain  distance  out  into  the  Bosphorus,  are  the 
commercial  docks.  This,  together  with  the  bazars,  is  the  busiest  part  of  the  capital,  and  has 
a  personality  all  its  own,  owing  to  the  extraordinary  agglomeration  of  Levantine,  Moslem, 
Christian  and  Jewish  types  of  men  and  women,  now  strikingly  Asiatic,  now  intensely  European 
in  appearance. 

The  past  of  Constantinople  is  one  of  the  most  eloquent  pages  in  the  history  of  the  great  migratory 
movement  of  Asiatic  peoples  during  the  first  ten  centuries  of  our  era.  Its  strategic  position  was 
such  as  to  make  its  capture  the  central  point  of  any  campaign  of  invasion  from  the  east,  and,  after 
the  Goths  and  Huns  had  been  driven  from  its  walls  time  and  again,  the  Crescent  waxed  in  Asia  Minor 
and  Ottomans  were  the  standard-bearers.  It  was  at  the  moment  when  the  first  fleet  of  Moslems 
appeared  in  the  Sea  of  Marmara,  that  the  city  attained  the  height  of  its  power  and  fame  under 
the  Emperor  Justinian.  The  arts  flourished — that  rich  Byzantine  art  which  was  doomed  to 
a  short  existence,  but  which  was  nevertheless  able  to  exercise  a  powerful  sway  over  Christian  and 
Moslem  art,  and,  by  building  a  world-wonder  like  St.  Sophia,  saw  it  established  as  an  architectural 
model  for  mosques,  and  a  decorative  creation  to  be  imitated  by  Christian  churches  throughout  the 
Occident. 


Europe 


775 


Aja  Sophia  is  unique.  Even  eliminating  the  gorgeousness  of  its  varied  marbles — green  column* 
from  the  temple  at  Ephesus,  and  red  ones  from  the  Temple  of  the  Sun  at  Baalbek — the  wav/ 
sinuousness  of  the  tessellated  floor,  and  the  glistening  splendour  of  gold  and  mosaic  decorations, 
the  building  would  command  the  attention  of  the  most  casual  visitor.  The  exterior,  it  is  true, 
can  hardly  claim  to  be  impressive  :  it  is  too  squatty,  but  this  effect  is  produced  by  the  minarets 
which  were  a  later,  Moslem  addition  and  the  unfortunate  streaks  of  red  which  run  horizontally  around 
the  edifice.  But  even  here,  from  the  outside,  can  be  observed  the  one  predominating  motive,  the 
problem  which  the  architect  sought  to  solve  when  he  built  his  church,  now  turned  into  a  mosque, 
and  that  is  the  adaptation  of  the  circle  to  the  square,  the  crowning  of  a  cubical  with  a  spherical  body, 
at  the  same  time  depriving  the  square  of  its  corners  by  means  of  rounded  bays  likewise  surmounted 
by  half-cupolas,  or  media  naranjas  (half-oranges)  as  they  are  generally  called  after  their  Spanish 
name,  for  it  is  in  Spain  that  the  most  perfect  repetitions  of  this  principle  were  attained.  As  for  the 
interior  of  the  Aja  Sophia,  the  airy  cupola  dominates  it  as  it  dominates  no  other  building  in  the 
world.  It  is  the  one  feature  which  stands  forth  vividly,  which  astounds  and  which  is  remembered 
when  other  details,  either  decorative  or  constructive,  have  paled  away.  Mosaics,  marble  and  gold 
are  almost  exclusively  used  in  the  ornamentation  of  the  interior,  and  huge  shields,  bearing  Arabic 
inscriptions  and  set  at  stated  intervals  in  the  frieze  show  that,  after  having  fought  and  resisted  the 
foreign  intruder  from  the  seventh  to  the  fifteenth  century,  the  Christians  were  obliged  to  surrender, 
and  their  marvellous  church,  dating  from  the  sixth  century,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Moslem 
conqueror.  Otherwise,  the  plan  of  the  building  has  been  changed  but  little.  Instead  of  the  altar 
facing  east,  the  ntihrah  points  towards  Mecca  in  the  south-east,  with  the  result  that  the  carpets 


THE    HALL    OF     1003    COLUMNS.     CONSTANTINOPLE. 
Built  by  the    Roman     Emperor    Justinian,    thi«   "Hall"   was    originally    intended   to  serve  as  a  cistern  for  the  storage  of  water, 
of  which    Constantinople    possessed  a  very    inadequate    supply.     It   is  a  forest  of   giant  columnj,   many  of  which   bear  inscriptions 
and  monograms. 


774 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


run  diagonally  across  the  floor,  producing  a  strange  effect.  Many  of  the  mosaics  portraying  human 
figures  have  been  white-washed,  but  the  ignoble  covering  is  gradually  wearing  away,  leaving  the 
resplendent  under-surface  exposed. 

Besides  the  mosque  of  St.  Sophia,  Stamboul  can  still  point  to  many  edifices  and  monuments 
dating  back  to  the  days  of  the  genial  Emperor  Justinian.  A  column,  partially  burnt  to-day,  com- 
memorates one  of  his  victories.  It  stands  alone,  a  solitary  pillar,  within  ten  minutes'  walk  of  Aja 
Sophia,  and  near  by,  at  the  further  end  of  a  square,  eleven  shafts  crossed  with  iron  bars,  peer  down 

into  the  giant  Justinian  cistern  of  the 
thousand  and  three  columns.  The  columns, 
many  of  which  bear  inscriptions  and  mono- 
grams, are  half  buried  in  earth  to-day,  for 
the  cistern  has  not  been  used  for  centuries 
and  is  consequently  as  dry  as  a  dust-heap. 
Stamboul,  deprived  of  a  generous  supply 
of  water,  possesses  many  of  these  cisterns, 
one  of  them  extending  beneath  the  western 
end  of  the  St.  Sophia  mosque. 

Adehberg. — The  Julian  range  of  Alps  in 
Illyria,  to  the  north  of  Trieste,  in  Austria, 
is  noted  for  what  may  be  termed  its 
"  nature  freaks."  Limestone  is  the  pre- 
dominant rock,  and  this,  as  is  well  known, 
lends  itself  to  peculiar  formations  and  is 
especially  subject  to  the  action  of  water. 
There  is  one  river,  for  instance,  called  the 
Poik,  which,  emerging  from  the  soil  to  the 
south  of  St.  Peter,  about  ten  miles  to 
the  north  of  Trieste,  flows  in  a  northerly 
direction  until  it  suddenly  disappears  under 
the  ground  at  Adelsberg,  to  emerge  again 
two  and  a  half  miles  fi^rther  north  under 
a  new  name,  the  Unz.  Its  career  is 
short,  however,  for  it  disappears  below  the 
soil  again,  and  when  next  seen,  is  called 
the  Laibach — for  a  short  sweet  hour  only, 
however,  for  the  next  it  has  joined  the 
Save  in  its  race  to  meet  the  lordly 
Danube.  The  Poik-Unz  stage  of  the 
river's  existence  is  not  devoid  of  unique 
interest,  for  in  its  subterranean  passage 
at  Adelsberg,  it  has  helped  to  form  a  wonderful  grotto,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  hmestone 
creations  in  the  world. 

The  Adelsberg  Grotto,  crowned  by  the  mediaeval  ruins  of  a  castle  on  the  Schlossberg,  was 
discovered  in  the  Middle  Ages,  as  is  to  be  read  in  the  chronicles  of  those  days,  but  its  very  existence 
was  forgotten  until  it  was  rediscovered  in  1818.  In  more  recent  times  the  village  fathers  have 
done  their  utmost  to  exploit  the  grotto  for  what  it  was  worth,  and  have  even  gone  to  the  expense 
of  having  it  lit  up  with  electric  light  in  order  to  enable  visitors  to  examine  its  beauties  under  the 
most  favourable  conditions.  They  have,  moreover,  explored  the  huge  caverns  along  a  total  length 
of  two  and  a  half  miles.     The  result  is  a  fairy-like  series  of.chambers  varying  in  size  from  the  Franz- 


From  Sh-r.^n  ropyriijht  by']  [//.  C.  White  Co. 

THE    HIPPODROME.    CONSTANTINOPLE. 

OriKinally  a  circus  surrounded  by  marble  seats,  the  Hippodrome 
is  even  to-day  the  most  striking  relic  of  ancient  Constantinople. 
The  nearer  obelisk  was  brought  from  On  (Heliopolis).  while  with  the 
preservation  of  the  other  the  fate  of  the  Ottoman  Empire  is  sup- 
posed to  be  connected. 


fs. 


Hi 


I  g" 


> 
> 

O 

■0 

I 


S  1 

0  r*- 


n 
O 
z 

H 
> 
Z 


z 

O 

"0 

r 
m 


n   t* 

m 

i.0 

c  3 
IS- 


»■  2 

!   0. 


3 


776 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Photo  bi/^  [i.  //.  Eisenmann. 

THE    ADELSBERG    CAVES. 

North    of    Trieste,   in    the    Ju'ian     range  of    Alps,   are    the    limestone    caves    of    Adelsherr.  They    have    been    formed  by  the 

action  of  a  subterranean  river,   whose  waters  have  deposited  in  their  course  wonderful  minarets  and  spires  of  lime. 

Joseph-Elisabeth  Grotto  to  tiny  niches  or  recesses  flanked  by  natural  pillars  and  stalactites.  The 
former,  the  Franz- Joseph  Grotto,  is  one  of  the  largest  of  known  caverns,  one  hundred  and  twelve 
feet  high  and  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  long  by  almost  as  many  wide.  In  it  stands  the 
Belvedere,  a  mound  composed  almost  entirely  of  stalactites.  Another  of  the  larger  caverns  is  the 
so-called  Kaiser  Ferdinand  Grotto,  subdivided  into  various  chambers,  the  largest  of  which  is  used 
as  a  ball-room  on  Bank  Holidays  during  the  summer.  The  effect  of  dancing  groups  swinging  to 
a  Viennese  waltz  in  the  brightly  illuminated  hall,  is  theatrical  in  the  extreme,  and  it  can  safely  be 
asserted  that  nowhere,  except  on  the  stage  or  in  an  Arabian  Nights  tale,  is  such  a  mise  en  scene  to  be 
found.  It  is  grimly  humorous,  moreover,  that  within  hailing  distance  of  this  hall  of  gaiety  should 
be  situated  the  Hall  of  Mourning,  where  half-crumbled  pillars  and  cones  have  more  the  aspect  of  a 
neglected  necropolis  than  of  a  ball-room. 

Perhaps  the  most  interesting  part  of  the  grotto  is  the  entrance.  It  is  reached  by  an  avenue  of 
lime-trees  and,  on  entering  the  first  vestibule,  the  visitor  walks  along  an  avenue  of  stone  with, 
ahead  of  him,  a  double  archway  of  natural  columns  forming  a  gate  leading  into  the  Poik  Grotto, 
where  the  river,  sixty  feet  below  the  entrance,  rushes  northwards  in  its  mad  career.  The  sound  of 
the  curdling  water  is  imposing.  Two  natural  and  one  artificial  bridge  lead  beyond  the  subterranean 
channel  and  the  echo  of  its  inky  rapids,  to  the  handsome  Cathedral  Hall  where  gigantic  Gothic 
pillars  support  the  massive  roof,  and  half  lights  predominate,  thus  giving  the  chamber  the  appearance 
of  being  larger  than  is,  in  reality,  the  case. 

The  Adelsberg  Grotto  is  not  the  only  one  in  the  neighbourhood.  One  mile  west  the  Ottok 
Grotto  is  hollowed  out  of  the  rock,  and  though  smaller  and  less  picturesque  than  its  rival,  it  is  noted 
for  the  spotless  white  of  its  stalactites  and  columns — those  in  the  Adelsberg  Grotto  being  more 
frequently  of  a  dirty  grey  or  brown. 


Europe 


777 


Cologne  Cathedral. — Cologne  and  Munich,  Catholic  towns  both,  have  ever  been  the  centre  of 
German  art,  and  though  the  former  has  lost  her  prestige  in  such  matters,  she  can  boast  of  the  most 
remarkable  Gothic  cathedral  in  Germany,  and  one  of  the  finest  examples  of  the  kind  in  the  world. 
Though  built  after  the  original  designs  laid  down  by  the  architect  in  the  thirteenth  century,  the 
edifice,  excepting  a  few  chapels,  the  choir  and  part  of  the  central  nave,  was  not  completed  until  the 
nineteenth  century.  The  scheme  to  undertake  its  completion  dates  from  1842,  and  it  took  forty 
years  to  terminate  the  work  at  a  cost  of  over  a  million  pounds,  part  of  which  was  granted  by  the 
Government,  part  raised  by  means  of  a  lottery  and  the  remainder  contributed  by  the  public.  The 
building  is  of  an  imposing  size  and  height,  flanked  by  a  wealth  of  flying  buttresses,  turrets,  gargoyles, 
and  is  richly  ornamented  with  cornices  and  foliage.  The  western  fa9ade  is  a  minute  reproduction  of 
the  original  design,  and  shows  early  Gothic  at  its  best.  The  same  can  be  said  of  the  towers- — that 
above  the  croisee  being  three  hundred  and  fifty-seven  feet,  and  the  western  towers  five  hundred  and 
fifteen  feet  high.  The  latter  have  a  square  base,  and  an  octagonal  second  body  surmounted  by 
a  graceful  spire.  The  large  bell,  one  of  the  largest  in  Germany,  is  made  of  the  gun  metal  provided 
by  the  guns  captured  from  the  French  in  1874. 

The  interior  of  the  cathedral  is  dignified  and  solemn,  as  becomes  the  spirit,  if  not  always  the 
reality,  of  Gothic  architecture.  The  central  nave  is  flanked  on  each  side  by  double,  and  the  transept 
by  a  single  aisle  ;  the  former  is  five  hundred  and  seventy  feet  and  the  latter  two  hundred  and  eighty-  ■ 
two  feet  long.  Architecturally  speaking,  the  choir  is  almost  a  replica  of  that  at  Amiens,  but  owing 
to  the  perfection  of  some  of  the  minor  details,  as  well  as  to  the  exquisite  harmony  of  the  ensemble, 
connoisseurs  are  inclined  to  prefer  it  to  the  great  French  masterpiece.     It  is,  however,  in  its  stained 


Photo  by'] 


IL.  H.  Eisenmann. 


THE     ADELSBERG    CAVES. 


At  Adelsbers  the  PoiU  disappears  into  the  earth  to  reappear  two  and  a  half  miles  further  north  as  the  Unz.  The  river  in 
its  course  through  the  rock  collected  heavy  deposits  of  limestone,  and  these  were  left  as  stalactites  and  stalagmites  upon  the 
walls  of  the  passage  which  it   had  made  underground 


778 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


windows  that  the  Cologne  Cathedral  can  take  ^ust  pride,  and  when  the  memory  of  other  details 
have  faded,  the  rich,  mellow  colour  of  thirteenth-century  panes,  priceless  because  practically  unique, 
linger  vividly  in  the  mind's  eye.  We  forget  the  Chapel  of  the  Three  Wise  Men  with  its  bones  of 
questionable  authenticity,  even  the  old  plan  of  the  cathedral  as  drawn  by  an  architect  of  ^ong  ago, 
and  the  Dombild  painted  by  Meister  Steffen  (Lochner)  in  sombre  hues — a  picture  praised  by  Diirer — 
but  we  can  never  forget  the  five  stained  windows  of  the  choir,  dating  from  the  beginning  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  and  those  above  the  triforium,  older  still,  and  more  mellow,  as  wine  that  has 

been  kept  for  years  in  some  dark  cellar. 

Aletsch  Glacier. — There  is  perhaps  no 
sport — with  the  exception  of  flying  and 
ski-ing — that  can  compare  with  mountain 
climbing  for  the  exhilarating  sensation  it 
produces.  The  arduous  cUmb  over  rocks, 
followed  by  a  tramp  on  the  blinding  snow 
of  a  glacier ;  the  perilous  cat-like  walk  along 
a  ledge  overlooking  a  precipice,  and  the 
crossing  of  a  crevasse  on  a  narrow  bridge  of 
ice ;  the  struggle  up  a  narrowing  flue,  and 
then — the  summit,  the  glorious  view  over 
myriad  snow-capped  peaks  and  fields  of 
ice,  those  in  the  distance  of  a  faded  white, 
those  at  hand  sparkling  as  the  sun  reflects 
its  rays  on  virgin  flakes  ;  the  while,  miles 
below  in  the  valleys,  lakes  nestle  in  green 
meadows,  huts  and  houses  dwindle  to  the 
size  of  pin-heads,  and  villages  are  no  more 
than  tiny  heaps  of  sand  scattered  in  per- 
fect disorder  by  some  careless  genii.  No 
wonder,  then,  that  mountainous  regions, 
such  as  Switzerland,  and  more  particularly 
the  Bernese  Oberland,  should  yearly  at- 
tract thousands  of  visitors,  who  either,  as 
experts,  seek  the  more  difficult  peaks,  or, 
as  amateurs,  content  themselves  with  an 
easy  climb,  to  be  repaid  by  a  view  perhaps 
less  extensive  but  no  less  magnificent  than  that  enjoyed  by  their  hardier  rivals.  For  the 
gentle  walker  are  such  as  the  Eggishorn  (nine  thousand  six  hundred  and  twenty- five  feet  high),  the 
highest  point  of  the  ridge  separating  the  Rhone  from  the  Great  Aletschgletscher  ;  for  the  experts 
the  bold  Aletschhorn  (thirteen  thousand  seven  hundred  and  twenty  feet),  second  among  the  peaks 
of  the  Bernese  Alps — the  first  being  the  Finsteraarhorn,  with  an  altitude  of  fourteen  thousand  and 
twenty-five  feet. 

The  easier  climb  of  the  Eggishorn  is  not  to  be  despised.  The  view  to  the  north,  with  the 
Aletschhorn  towering  above  the  landscape  and  throwing  off  its  many  glaciers  to  the  right  and 
to  the  left  with  startling  lavishness,  is  as  fine  a  sight  as  can  be  enjoyed  by  the  mountaineer.  At  his 
feet  the  gigantic  glacier — Grosser  Aletschgletscher — curls  up  and  around  the  peak  from  which  it 
has  derived  its  name,  and  which  stands  proudly  contemplating  its  snow-white  robes,  the  while 
throwing  off  the  Central  Glacier  flanked  by  two  spurs,  which  do  but  succeed  in  emphasizing  the 
superior  height  of  their  lord  and  master.  There  are  mountains,  like  the  Jungfrau,  which  appeal 
on  account  of  their  mass  ;   others,  like  the  Matterhorn,  scorn  comparison,  whereas  the  Aletschhorn, 


Photo  by'\ 


[/>.  //.  Eiseninami. 


THE    ADELSBERG     CAVES 
A  gigantic  stalactite. 


These  caves  were  discovered  first  in 
rediscovered  in  1818.  Now  dancing  tak< 
view  is  ot   "The  New   Hall." 


[/..  U.  Eisentnattn. 
THE    ADELSBERG    CAVES, 
the    Middle    Ages,    but    for    centuries    their    existence    was    forgotten    until    they    were 
t    place    in    some  of    the    larger    grottos,    which    are    brilliantly    illuminated.     The    above 


Europe 


781 


like  a  shrewd  woman,  makes  use  of  its  surroundings  to  enhance  its  own  beauty.  A  chacun  son  goUt. 
The  peak  in  question,  surrounded  by  a  sea  of  glaciers  and  frozen  waterfalls,  that  has  not  its  equal 
for  beauty  in  the  known  world,  and  is,  moreover,  the  largest  in  the  Alps,  was  first  scaled  by  Mr.  F.  F. 
Tuckett,  an  Englishman,  in  1859.  It  is  no  easy  climb,  being  one  of  the  "  hard  nuts"  to  crack,  but 
the  view  from  the  summit  amply  repays  all  hardships  and  perils. 

From  the  Eggishorn,  where  the  best  front  view  of  the  Aletsch  region  is  to  be  obtained, 
a  short  climb  down  the  eastern  slope  brings  the  mountaineer  to  the  dark-green  Marjelen  See, 
at  times  gorgeously  coloured  with  floating  blocks  of  ice  that  catch  and  reflect  the  sun's  glare. 
A  path  leads  over  the  ridge  to  the  Great  Aletschgletscher,  which  winds  like  some  huge  serpent 
up  a  valley  between  the  Aletschhorn  on  the  left  and  the  Fieschhorn  and  Faulberg  on  the  right 
in  an  easterly  and  then  northerly  direction.  Opposite  the  Faulberg  it  is  joined  by  the  Grosser 
Aletschfirn,  or  snow-field  which  circles  around  the  Aletschhorn  on  its  northern  side,  thus  suc- 
ceeding in  isolating  it,  as  it  were,  from  the  rest  of  the  world  by  means  of  a  frozen  sheet. 

Orange. — Nimes,  Aries  and  Orange,  the  three  Franco-Roman  cities  in  the  Midi,  can  each 
boast  of  unique  monuments  dating  from  the  days  of  the  Roman  Emperors.  Foremost  among  these 
monuments  are  the  Amphitheatre  at  Nimes  and  the  triumphal  arch  and  theatre  at  Orange.  The 
arch  is  not  only  the  largest  in  France,  but  the  third  in  size  and  importance  in  Europe.  It  is  seventy- 
two  feet  high  by  sixty-nine  feet  wide  and  twenty-six  feet  deep.  It  has  three  arches,  which,  together 
with  the  cornice,  are  supported  by  Corinthian  columns.  Remarkable  are  the  variety  and  elegance 
of  the  carved  ornamentation  still  visible  on  three  sides — the  fourth  having  suffered  considerably 
since  the  date  of  the  monument's  erection  in  the  first  century  of  our  era. 

But  if  the  arch  has  its  peers  and  equals,  not  so  the  open-air  theatre,  which  is  the  most  perfect 
of  its  kind  in  existence.  It  is,  moreover,  essentially  Roman,  with  hardly  a  trace  of  Greek  influence, 
as  is  to  be  seen,  for  instance,  in  the  Tuscan  columns  still  standing.  The  theatre  at  Aries,  on  the 
other  hand,  is  typically  Greek,  so  that  the 
student  can  easily  compare  the  beauties  of 
each  order,  without  leaving  the  district 
in  which  both  are  situate.  The  Orange 
Theatre,  dating  from  the  reign  of  Hadrian, 
still  possesses,  though  in  a  deteriorated 
state,  its  fagade  facing  the  grades  of  thi 
amphitheatre,  which  are  cut  in  a  hill-side, 
crowned  to-day  by  a  gilt  statue  of  the 
Virgin.  The  facade,  one  hundred  and 
twenty-one  feet  high,  by  three  hundred 
and  forty  feet  long  and  thirteen  feet  deep, 
forms  the  background  for  the  stage,  which 
was  roofed  in  and  supported  along  the 
outer  edge  by  a  colonnade.  Five  gates,  for 
the  exit  and  entrance  of  actors,  lead  into 
the  building  from  the  stage  ;  three  of  these 
gates  are  still  in  use  to-day,  for  several 
plays  have  been  sta~ed  in  this  old  Roman 
open-air  theatre  within  the  past  few  years. 
The  central  gate  is  larger  than  the  others, 
and  was  called  the  "  Royal  Gate  "  ;  only 
the  principal  actor  could  make  use  of  it, 
and  a  niche  above  it  contained  the  statue 
of  the  Emperor  Hadrian       The  upper  body 


From  Stereo  copyright  bp"] 
THE 
This     is     the    largest 
between      the      Aletschhorn     and 
distance  of  about    twelve  miles. 


irnde/uooil  *£■  L'ltderuood. 
ALETSCH    GLACIER. 

glacier    in    the     Alps,    and    fills    the    valley 
the     Fieechhorn,      extending     for     a 


782 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


From  iStfffo  copynght  hy']  [//.  i\ 

THE     ALETSCH     GLACIER. 
A    photograph    of    the    edge    of     the    glacier,    showing 


of  the  fa9ade  contained  a  double  row  of 
corbels,  projecting  over  a  range  of  blind 
arches,  and  furnished  with  holes  for  the 
insertion  of  poles,  to  which  was  fastened 
the  vellum,  or  canvas  awning,  which 
covered  the  amphitheatre  and  was  at- 
tached to  pickets  stuck  in  the  ground 
above  the  highest  grades.  Though  the 
building  has  been  partially  restored,  much 
can  still  be  done  to  make  it  resemble  more 
closely  the  edifice  it  used  to  be  ;  and  the 
authorities,  who  have  already  turned  it 
into  a  national  theatre,  can  be  helped 
in  their  work  of  restoration  by  studying 
an  existing  sketch  of  the  building  by  an 
Italian  traveller  before  its  partial  destruc- 
tion in  the  eighteenth  century. 

Drei  Zinnen. — It  is  not  a  far  cry  from 
the  Alps  of  Switzerland  and  Northern  Tyrol 
to  the  Dolomites  of  Southern  Tyrol  in 
Austria,  and  yet  how  different  from  the 
Bernese  Oberland  and  the  region  of  the 
Gross  Glockner  is  the  aspect  of  the  Ampezzo 
district.  In  the  former — the  Alps  properly 
speaking — forms  are  irregular,  rugged, 
chaotic  almost,  but  in  the  latter  there  is 
some  attempt  at  regularity,  and,  what  is  even  more  characteristic,  twin  and  triplet  peaks,  or 
composite  pinnacles  of  extraordinary  sharpness,  are  numerous,  and  often  streaked  by  veins  of  the 
most  gorgeous  colours.  Both  these  phenomena  are  produced  by  a  peculiar  magnesium  hmestone, 
named  after  the  geologist  Dolomieu,  and  constituting  the  material  out  of  which  these  mountains 
and  gorges  have  been  formed.  A  casual  glance  at  the  map  of  the  district  which  has  its  centre  in 
the  village  of  Cortina,  shows  the  frequent  occurrence  of  three,  four  or  five-peaked  mountains, 
with  awkward  names  corresponding  to  the  multiplicity  of  summits,  such  as  the  Five  Brothers, 
the  Three  Peaks,  and  others  of  a  similar  nature. 

The  highest  peak  in  this  region  of  crags  and  pinnacles  is  the  solitary  cone  of  Marmolata,  which 
rises  to  a  height  of  ten  thousand  nine  hundred  and  seventy-two  feet ;  but  far  more  characteristic 
of  the  formation  of  the  Dolomites  are  the  Drei  Zinnen — or  "  Tre  Cime  de  Lavaredo,"  as  they  are  called 
in  Italian,  for  they  stand  almost  on  the  frontier  line  between  Italy  and  Austria.  These  noble  peaks, 
three  in  number,  form  the  head  of  the  Black  Rienz  Valley,  on  the  eastern  confines  of  the  Dolomites, 
and  are  visited  yearly  by  thousands  of  tourists  and  climbers,  the  former  anxious  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  striking  beauty  of  the  Ampezzo  district,  the  latter  eager  to  scale  crags  and  summits  that 
offer  danger  even  to  the  hardy  expert.  This  is,  above  all,  the  case  as  regards  the  smallest  of  the 
three  peaks,  the  Kleine  Zinne  ;  the  ascent  of  the  middle  or  Vordere  Zinne  is  not  so  difficult,  whereas 
comparatively  easy  is  that  of  the  Grosse  Zinne,  nine  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high. 

Paestum. — There  are  few  more  impressive  scenes  than  that  afforded  by  the  Greek  temples  at 
Paestum.  Once  a  flourishing  city  occupied  this  beautiful  bay  on  the  Campanian  coast.  Here, 
according  to  Strabo,  the  adventurous  Greeks  had  founded  a  colony  as  far  back  as  B.C.  600,  calhng 
it  after  their  sea-god  Poseidon,  and  for  a  time  the  new  city  of  Poseidonia  must  have  flourished 
exceedingly.      Then  were  built  the  magnificent  temples  which  are  the  subjects  of  its  fame  to-day  ; 


gerously-concealed    crevasses 
the  ice-masses. 


the     dan- 
hich    are    produced   by    the   pressure  of 


S-I 


3  S 


i.t 


H 
I 
PI 

H 
X 
m 
> 

H 
_rn 

O 

> 
z 

o 
m 


3  a. 


=  0 


784 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


but  the  city  did  not  long  enjoy 
its  splendour,  it  early  fell  into 
the  hands  of  the  Lucanians, 
and,  later,  after  the  death  of 
Pyrrhus,  it  came  under  Roman 
rule,  and  was  subject  to  a 
fresh  influx  of  settlers  who 
founded  the  colony  of  Paestum. 
Soon  it  became  noted  for  its 
fever-laden  air,  which  led  to 
its  early  desertion,  and  prob- 
ably for  this  very  reason  to 
the  splendid  preservation  of 
its  Greek  structures  —  the 
most  perfect  specimens  out- 
side Greece.  The  Temple  of 
Neptune  is  the  largest,  most 
beautiful  and  best  preserved 
of  the  three  noble  ruins.  It 
is  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
seven  feet  long  and  eighty 
feet  wide.  Thirty-six  massive 
Doric  columns  rise  from  the 
stylobate,  six  at  each  end 
and  fourteen  at  each  side ; 
their  proportions  are  very  fine, 
combining  a  sense  of  power 
with  beauty  of  outline.  They 
taper  towards  the  top,  but 
after  the  manner  of  all  Greek 
workmanship,  they  are  not 
composed  of  absolutely  straight 
lines,  each  pillar  having  a 
swelling,  or  entasis,  in  its 
central  girth,  which  is  obser- 
vable at  a  short  range,  but 
which,  in  the  distance,  has 
the  effect  of  enhancing  the  fine  proportions  of  each  shaft.  The  building  material  is  a  kind  of 
travertine  which  formerly  was  covered  over  with  stucco  ;  not  such  a  substance  as  is  usually  known 
by  that  name  to-day,  but  a  material  which,  when  polished,  was  smoother  and  whiter  than  plaster, 
giving  the  building  the  appearance  of  marble.  That  stucco  has  now  fallen  off,  but  the  bare 
blocks  of  travertine  have  a  peculiar  beauty,  acquired  during  the  lapse  of  time.  They  have  been 
acted  upon  by  the  sun  and  climatic  conditions  so  that  they  have  taken  on  a  rich  amber  colouring. 
Very  lovely  it  is,  too,  for  it  seems  as  though  the  sun's  rays  had  through  the  centuries  sunk  into  the 
stone  and  were  imprisoned  there,  so  that  the  building  has  become  part  of  surrounding  Nature,  a 
creature  of  the  bright  Italian  sun,  a  temple  for  Nature-worshippers,  rising  like  a  giant  from  the 
surrounding  luxuriance  of  undergrowth,  with  the  intense  blue  of  the  Gulf  of  Salerno  in  the  distance 
and  the  intense  blue  of  the  sky  overhead. 

There  is  no  sight  "  more  touching  in  its  majesty  "  than  that  which  is  presented  to  the  traveller 


DREI     ZINNEN. 

Three  famous  peaks  of  the  Dolomites  of  Southern  Tyrol.  They  rise  abruptly  from 
the  head  of  the  Black  Rienz  Valley,  and  are  amongst  the  highest  in  this  range.  The 
rock  of  which  they  are  composed  is  a  peculiar  magnesium  limestone. 


Europe 


785 


as  he  looks  upon  these  three  great  lonely  ruins  from  the  vantage  ground  of  a  distant  deserted 
terrace. 

Bologna,  the  far-famed  university  city  of  Italy,  the  rival  in  learning  of  Oxford,  the  Sorbonne 
and  Salamanca,  was,  in  the  days  of  the  Renaissance,  one  of  the  great  centres  from  which  radiated 
the  teachings  of  the  Humanists.  Consequently,  the  r61e  of  Bologna,  in  the  first  year  following  the 
dawn  of  the  new  scholastic  movement,  was  in  every  way  exceptional,  and  though  Rome,  Pisa  and 
Florence  took  the  lead  in  matters  pertaining  to  the  fine  arts,  in  jurisprudence  and  scholarship  she 
had  no  rivals  in  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries.  Nor  is  it  to  be  wondered  at  that  the 
reaction  against  the  decadent  Mannerists  of  the  sixteenth  century  should  emanate  from  the  university 
town,  where  Caracci  founded  the  eclectic  school  and  paved  the  way  for  Guido  Reni,  whose  San 
Sebastian  is  world  known,  and  who  has  left  in  San  Domenico  a  richly-coloured  fresco  representing  the 
Apotheosis  of  St.  Dominic. 

Noteworthy  among  the  monuments  of  Bologna  is,  in  the  first  place,  the  university  to  which 
the  city  owes,  in  so  large  a  manner,  its  name — the  palatial  edifices,  opening  through  arcades  into  the 
streets,  lend  a  personal  note  to  the  general  aspect  that  is  not  easily  forgotten.  But  famous  among 
the  Old-World  wonders  of  Bologna  are  the  two  Leaning  Towers  in  the  Piazza  di  Porta  Ravegnana, 
approached  from  the  Via  dell'  Indipendenza  through  the  Via  Rizzoli,  one  of  the  busiest  streets  in 
the  city.  The  towers  are  of  varying  height,  the  tallest,  known  as  the  Torre  Asinelli,  from  the  name 
of  its  builder,  who  hved  in  the  twelfth  century,  is  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet  high,  and  it  is  four 
feet  out  of  the  perpendicular.  Its  companion,  the  Torre  Garisenda,  likewise  named  after  its  builder, 
is  an  uncompleted  monument,  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  feet  high,  and  eight  feet  out  of  the  perpen- 
dicular. The  slope  of  neither  of  these  towers  is  equal  to  that  of  the  Leaning  Tower  at  Pisa,  which 
stands  fourteen  feet  out  of  the  perpendicular.    The  height  of  the  Asinelli  tower  is  greater,  however, 


THE    TEMPLE    OF    NEPTUNE.    PAESTUM. 
This  temple  is  one  of  the    noblest    specimens    of    Greek    architecture,   and    ranks    next    in    importance    to    those    at    Athens. 
It  is  built    of    a    kind    of    travertine,    and    was    formerly    covered    with    stucco    but    this    has  now    fallen  away  and  left  the  noble 
pillars  in  all   their  golden  beauty. 


786 


The   Wonders   of   the  World 


by  thirty  feet,  and,  consequently,  it  is  the  highest  leaning  tower  in  the  world.  A  flight  of  four 
hundred  and  forty-seven  steps  leads  to  the  top  of  the  square-built,  brick  structure,  and  the  view  over 
the  city  and  its  suburbs  from  the  summit  is  one  of  the  sights  which  every  inhabitant  will  advise  the 
traveller  to  enjoy  before  voyaging  further  afield  in  the  land  of  the  Renaissance. 

Tarragona. — On  a  hill  rising  steeply  from  the  Mediterranean,  between  Barcelona  and  Valencia, 
stands  the  old  city  of  Tarragona,  at  one  time  capital  of  the  Roman  Empire  of  Hispania,  and  to-day 
but  a  shadow  of  what  it  used  to  be.  Not  so  the  vines,  which  in  the  days  of  the  Emperors  produced 
a  beverage  that  was  drunk  with  relish,  and  to-day  continue  producing  wines  the  exportation  of 
which  is  the  staple  industry  of  the  neighbourhood.     The  cathedral  is  one  of  the  finest  examples 

of  elaborate  Spanish  Gothic,  and  its  arch- 
bishop second  in  importance  in  the  Church 
hierarchy  of  Spain.  Of  the  old  Roman 
monuments  few  are  left  to  tell  the  tale  of 
the  city's  wealth  under  the  Emperors,  and 
it  is  unlikely  that  Tarragona  would  figure 
among  the  wonders  of  the  world  were  it 
not  for  its  Cyclopean  Wall,  to  be  numbered 
not  only  among  the  few  pre-Roman  re- 
mains in  the  Peninsula,  but  also  as  one  of 
the  riddles  of  the  past  that  await  a  solu- 
tion. They  are  of  extraordinary  strength 
and  dimensions,  and  still  surround  the  hill 
on  three  sides,  having  been  demolished  on 
the  fourth,  looking  towards  the  new  town 
with  its  broad  streets  and  avenues.  Un- 
fortunately the  height  of  the  old  walls  can 
hardly  be  calculated,  for  when  the  Romans 
came  to  Tarragona  in  the  days  of  Scipio, 
they  used  the  huge  unhewn  blocks  of  the 
Cyclopean  Walls  as  foundation-stones  for 
the  wall  as  it  stands  to-day. 

The  most  remarkable  feature  of  the 
Cyclopean  Wall  is  the  size  of  the  blocks  of 
stone.  Some  of  them  are  so  large  and  heavy 
that  fifty  yoke  of  oxen  could  not  drag  them 
up  an  inclined  plane  having  a  gradient  of 
one  foot  in  a  thousand.  How,  then,  were 
they  put  in  their  place,  and  where  did  they 
come  from,  for  neither  is  there  any  sign  of 
a  quarry  in  the  neighbourhood  nor  have  the  blocks  been  hewn  ?  We  have  no  proofs,  moreover,  that 
the  builders  knew  the  use  of  iron,  and  it  is  even  doubtful  if  they  did.  To  add  to  the  amazement 
produced  by  this  manifest  work  of  a  race  of  giants,  a  gateway  still  stands  as  it  did  hundreds  of  years 
before  our  era.  It  has  a  depth  of  almost  seven  yards,  showing  the  thickness  of  the  walls.  The  aperture 
itself  is  one  and  a  half  yards  wide  by  two  and  a  half  yards  high.  The  jambs  are  each  formed  of  one 
block,  and  the  lintel  is  merely  another  block  reposing  on  the  jambs  and  measuring  five  yards  across. 
How  was  this  mass  of  stone  put  in  its  place  ?  The  constructors  did  not  know  the  use  of  mortar  or 
lime,  and  filled  in  the  crevices  between  their  blocks  with  smaller  stone.  On  the  north-east  side  stands 
a  tower,  the  foundation  of  which — four  stones  in  the  form  of  a  square — is  cyclopean,  whilst  on'another 
tower  is  the  sculptured  face  of  a  woman,  whose  claim  to  beauty  rests  on  a  full,  round  face,  heavy 


Fhoto  }iy-\  yi.  a.  While  Co. 

THE   TWO    LEANING    TOWERS    OF    BOLOGNA. 

The    completed    tower    is    320    feet    high,    and    is    four    feet    out  of 

the    perpendicular,     while    its    incomplete    companion     tower    is    eight 

feet    out.      They    were    erected  in   the  twelfth  century,  and  are  named 

after  their  builders. 


^*^^^  ^y]  [J.  Laurent  y  Cia. 

THE    CYCLOPEAN    WALLS.    TARRAGONA. 
In  certain    parts    these    walls    attain    a    height    of   thirty-three    feet.     It  is  the    lowest    course    of   enormous    roughly-hewn  blocks 
which  dates  from  prehistoric  times.     The  upper  courses  were  probably  built  under  tSe  government  of  the  Scipios,  and  later  in  the 
time  of  Caesar  Augustus. 


788 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


lips  and  a  flat  nose.  The  total 
length  of  the  wall  is  about  two 
miles,  and  the  height  varies  from 
ten  to  thirty-three  feet.  In  order 
to  command  a  good  view  of  the  pre- 
Roman  ring  surrounding  the  city, 
it  is  advisable  to  follow  it  from  the 
exterior,  along  a  path  made  for 
the  purpose.  It  is  only  by  doing 
this  that  an  idea  can  be  formed  of 
the  immense  size  and  weight  of 
each  individual  block  of  stone. 

Brigsdal. — In  the  land  of  night- 
less  summers,  where  twilight  hangs 
over  the  earth  from  sunset  to  sun- 
rise, and  rock-hewn  islands  rise 
sheer  and  grim  out  of  the  blue 
waters  of  a  fjord,  it  is  difficult  to 
decide  where  Nature  has  bestowed 
beauty  with  a  more  generous  hand. 
Slightly  to  the  north  of  Bergen, 
two  of  the  largest  fjords  eat  their 
way  land-inwards  for  many  miles, 
and  both  terminate  in  moraine 
lakes  of  crystal-clear  water  at 
the  foot  of  gigantic  glaciers — 
or,  to  be  more  accurate,  at  the 
foot  of  steep  branches  of  the  same  glacier,  that  of  Jostedal,  the  largest  in  Europe.  These  fjords 
are  the  Sognefjord  and  the  Nordfjord,  and  though  the  former  is  the  longer  of  the  two,  it  is  generally 
admitted  that  the  latter  is  the  more  romantic  and  perhaps  the  more  picturesque.  From  the  Atlantic 
the  steamer  passes  through  the  entrance  between  huge  precipices,  and  moves  slowly  forwards,  as 
though  wishing  to  ram  its  prow  against  a  wall  of  rock  ahead.  A  turn,  and  a  new  passage  appears, 
followed  by  another  lake-like  sheet  of  water.  Here  the  precipices  are  crowned  by  peaks  piercing 
the  blue  sky  ;  there  they  are  broken  to  make  room  for  some  Norvegian  village  with  its  quaint 
church.  Again  pines  slope  gently  seawards,  a  glacier  crawls  almost  to  the  water's-edge  as  though 
wishing  to  bathe  its  feet  in  the  rock-bound  lake,  or  a  high  waterfall  heaves  into  sight — a  streak  of 
snow-white  against  a  grey-black  cliff.  The  while  the  steamer  sails  on,  up  the  fjord  to  Olden.  Here 
it  comes  abruptly  to  an  end  ;  ridges  of  rock  separate  it  from  the  moraine  lakes  of  fresh  water  beyond. 
These  are  three  in  number,  each  lying  at  the  bottom  of  a  valley.  One,  the  Strynsdal,  runs  in  an 
easterly  direction  ;  a  second,  the  Loendal,  takes  a  more  south-easterly  course,  and  the  third,  the 
Brigsdal,  goes  to  the  south  to  join  the  brae  of  the  same  name.  Climbing  over  the  ridge  separating 
Olden  from  the  moraine  lake,  the  visitor  reaches  the  small  village  of  Brigsdal,  from  where  a  path 
leads  to  the  glacier.  The  first  general  view  of  the  latter  is  to  be  obtained  a  few  minutes  after  leaving 
Brigsdal,  and  it  is  unforgettable.  The  blue  ice  of  the  perpendicular  side'towers  above  the  birch- 
trees  and  alder  bush  fringing  the  lake,  and  seems  to  rise  straight  and  steep  within  an  inch  of  the  green 
foliage.  On  -approaching  it,  however,  the  visitor  will  find  that  a  field  of  stone  and  moraine  rubble 
separates  the  two,  and  will  have  to  be  crossed  before  the  foot  of  the  glacier  is  reached.  But  the 
trouble  of  climbing  will  be  amply  repaid  by  a  closer  glimpse  of  the  ice-cavern,  one  of  the  finest  of 
its  kind,  and  out  of  which  the  stream  flows  which  nourishes  the  moraine'lake. 


Pholo   by'\ 

This  glacier 


lute  Cl 

THE    BRIGSDAL    GLACIER, 
is  the  steepest  offshoot  of  the  Jostedal  Glacier,  which  boasts 
of  an  area  of  about   580  square  miles. 


Europe 


789 


The  Brigsdalbrae,  or  glacier,  is  the  steepest  offshoot  of  the  Jostedalsbrae,  and  is  a  long,  winding 
mass  of  ice.  On  the  right,  and  at  a  much  higher  level,  lies  the  Kjotabrae,  from  which  waterfalls 
drop  hundreds  of  feet,  and  huge  blocks  of  ice  fall  with  a  crash,  similar  in  sound  to  the  echo  of 
musketry  heard  in  an  Alpine  valley  at  the  foot  of  a  bare  cliff.  The  Brigsdalbrae  was  first  ascended 
fifteen  years  ago  by  G.  K.  Bing,  who  thus  reached  the  Jostedalsbrae,  which  has  an  area  of  five 
hundred  and  eighty  square  miles. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

By  DOUGLAS  SLADEN,  Author  of  "  The  Secrets  of  the  Vatican." 

Secular  Rome — General  Sketch, — Rome,  the  Eternal  City,  might  as  fitly  be  called  the  City 
of  Eternal  Change.  In  the  last  two  years  it  has  had  changes  enough  for  two  centuries.  Wide 
tracts  of  the  city  have  been  torn  up  to  free  ancient  monuments  from  the  excrescences  which 
smothered  their  noble  proportions.  Many  vast  modern  buildings  have  been  erected,  one  among 
them,  the  new  Capitol,  the  finest  building  in  the  Classical  style  since  St.  Peter's  arose  at  the  command 
of  the  mighty  pontiffs  of  the  Renaissance.  Until  a  year  ago  the  dome  of  St.  Peter's  was  the  first 
object  which  struck  the  eye 
from  every  eminence  in  Rome, 
cis  it  was  the  first  object  which 
struck  the  eye  of  the  traveller 
approaching  Rome.  While 
this  was  the  state  of  things, 
it  was  not  easy  for  people  to 
forget  that  Rome  had  been 
the  Capital  of  the  Pope,  who 
keeps  himself  a  prisoner  in 
the  Vatican.  It  was  a  wise 
strategical  move  of  the  pre- 
sent authorities  to  make  the 
Capitol  once  more  the  out- 
ward and  visible  centre  of 
Rome,  as  it  was  in  the  days 
of  her  ancient  glory.  So  they 
reared  on  the  site  of  the 
Temple  of  Juno  Moneta,  the 
ancient  Treasury  of  Rome, 
which  gave  money  its  name, 
the  gigantic  new  monument 
to  the  Second  Italian  Renais- 
sance, the  Unification  of  Italy, 
with  the  enormous  equestrian 
figure  of  Victor  Emanuel, 
which  is  so  large  that  a 
dinner-party  has  been  given 
inside  it,  as  its  central  feature. 

You  can  see  the  new 
Capitol  as  you  stand  in  the 
flat   Piazza  del   Popolo,   just 


riioio  bv} 

THE    FORUM.     ROME. 

A    bird's-eye    view    oi    the     great     centre    of    Roman    life. 


[//.  C.  M'hite  Co. 


In    the    distance    is    the 
nearer    to    the    spectator  is    the    Arch    of    Hadrian.     From    there    the 


Colosseum,     whil 

Via  Sacra  can  be  traced  until,  in  the  foreground  of  the  picture,  it  passes  between 
the  Basilica  Julia  (to  the  right)  and  a  row  of  columns  on  the  left,  chief  of  which  ia 
the  Column  of   Phocas  in  the  centre  of  the  picture 


790 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


inside  the  great  North  Gate  of  Rome  a  mile  away — the  Corso^  the  chief  street  of  Rome,  runs  from 
one  to  the  other,  and  you  can  see  the  Capitol  for  every  step  of  the  way.  It  is  built  of  white 
Brescian  marble  at  the  head  of  the  finest  flight  of  steps  in  the  world,  which  fill  an  entire  side  of  the 
great  Piazza  di  Venezia.  It  is  built  in  the  form  of  an  ancient  temple  in  a  huge  crescent,  to  follow 
the  outline  of  the  hill,  and  is  one  of  the  grandest  buildings  of  modern  times.  While  it  was  complet- 
ing this  building,  the  Government  cleared  away  a  mile  of  mean  and  uninteresting  houses  between 
the  Palatine,  the  Cselian  and  the  Baths  of  Caracalla,  so  as  to  give  their  noble  ruins  a  proper  setting 
of  turf  and  trees  ;  and  cleared  away  the  excrescences  which  concealed  the  ancient  features 
of  the  vast  buildings  of  the  Emperors,  the  mighty  tomb  of  Hadrian,  now  called  the  Castle  of 

Sant'  Angelo,  and  the  Baths  of  the  Emperor 
Diocletian.  At  the  same  time,  for  the  exhibition 
of  1911,  they  made  enormous  erections,  some  of 
which,  like  the  huge  palace  of  the  Fine  Arts  and  the 
Zoological  Gardens,  in  which  the  wild  animals  are 
confined  by  natural  features  instead  of  cages,  are 
permanent,  while  others,  like  the  reproductions  of 
mediaeval  buildings  on  the  Campus  Martins,  are  of 
a  more  temporary  nature. 

Rome  is  not  rich  in  the  work  of  the  Byzantines, 
except  in  the  mosaics  of  its  churches,  and  it  has  not 
much  of  the  Romanesque  beyond  an  old  inn  which 
was  standing  when  Boniface  VIII.  made  the  year 
1300  the  first  Jubilee  for  pilgrims.  The  seventeenth 
century  Cardinals  waged  such  fierce  war  on  Gothic 
architecture  as  the  symbol  of  the  hated  Northern 
Protestants,  that  nothing  survived  them  except  the 
grand  old  palace  called  the  Torre  dell'  Anguillara 
and  a  few  houses  in  Trastevere,  and  on  this  side  of 
the  Tiber  the  Palazzetto  Mattei,  a  few  arches  in  the 
old  Aracoeli  church,  a  few  windows  in  superannuated 
palaces,  and  the  bastard  S.  Maria  sopra  Minerva. 

Nor  is  it  amazingly  rich  in  works  of  the  true 
Renaissance,  though  the  Palazzo  and  Palazzetto 
Farnese,  the  Villa  Farnesina,  the  Villa  Madama  and 
the  Villa  Medici  have  dignity  and  elegance,  and 
there  are  some  notable  Renaissance  churches  like 
S.  Maria  del  Popolo,  richly  dowered  with  paintings  and  sculptures  of  the  great  masters,  Sant' 
Agostino,  Santa  Maria  della  Pace  and  San  Salvatore  in  Lauro  (cloister). 

Rome  excels  in  two  classes  of  churches,  one  mediaeval  and  one  Post-Renaissance.  A  few  of  its 
churches  are  frankly  ancient  Roman  buildings  converted,  such  as  the  most  perfect  of  its  many 
temples,  that  which  pervades  literature  since  the  Augustan  Age  as  the  circular  Temple  of  Vesta,  a 
name  of  which  it  has  been  deprived  by  modern  criticism,  the  Temple  of  Fortuna  Virilis,  an  elegant 
rectangle,  the  vast  circular  Pantheon,  which  formed  part  of  the  Baths  of  Agrippa,  the  vast  circular 
San  Stefano  Rotondo,  which  was  a  meat  market,  and  the  octagonal  S.  Costanza,  which  was 
the  tomb  of  Constantine  the  Great's  daughter.  There  are  others  in  crypts  like  those  of  San 
Clemente  and  St.  Nicola  in  Carcere. 

Among  the  Post-Renaissance  churches  St.  Peter's  stands  far  the  first,  being  the  greatest  of  all 
the  churches  of  the  Classical  Revival.  There  are  other  huge  Classical  churches  in  Rome  ;  they 
have  neither  the  majesty  nor  the  charm  nor  the  sinceritv  of  St.  Peter's. 


Photo  by  pfnnission  oj^ 

THE    COLUMN 


OF 


[/■■.  E. 
PHOCAS. 


WhUiny. 


■HJ«^>>»    V.-l 


rhiiOi  l.y] 


IE.  O.  Wood. 


thei;arch   of  septimius  severus. 

This  'arch  is  the  first  object  that  holds  the  attention  of  the  visitor  to  the  Forum.  It  is  constructed  entirely  of  marble, 
and  was  erected  to' the  honour  of  the  Emperor  and  his  sons  Gaeta  and  Caracalla.  Notice  the  old  Roman  pavement  of  the 
Via  Sacra. 


792 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


eiiolo  6y]  [ff.  O.  Wood. 

THE    TEMPLES    OF    SATURN     AND    OF    VESPASIAN. 

From    the    earliest    time    the    Temple'   of    Saturn    (of    which    eight    columns   are    still    standins)    was    the    depository  of   the 
public  treasury.     The  Temple  of  Vespasian  is  particularly  noted  for  its  beautiful  pillars. 

This  is  only  the  briefest  sketch  of  the  architecture  which  makes  Rome  immortal.  All  said  and 
done  at  Rome,  you  have  to  go  back  to  ancient  Roman  buildings,  and  the  basilicas  inspired  by  them, 
to  be  enchanted.  Nowhere  is  there  such  a  pomp  of  walls  and  gates  and  towers,  of  columns  that 
soar  like  steeples,  and  are  covered  with  bas-reliefs  to  their  summits  ;  of  sculptured  arches  ;  of  temples 
with  columned  porches  ;  of  houses  of  nobles,  which  have  been  preserved  for  us  in  the  bosom  of 
the  earth  ;  of  aqueducts  looking  like  the  works  of  God — all  going  back  to  the  days  when  one  man, 
robed  in  purple  on  the  Palatine,  was  a  god  on  earth,  and  the  Emperor  was  recognized  as  such. 
And  among  all  the  grandeur  of  Ancient  Rome,  which  is  preserved  in  the  city  to-day,  certain  piles 
of  architecture  stand  up  like  mountains,  rising  from  a  plain — the  Forum,  the  Colosseum,  the 
Palatine,  and  the  Baths  built  by  Caracalla  and  Diocletian  to  serve  an  entire  city. 

Tiberius  had  a  passion  for  privacy  and  his  successors  were  in  constant  dread  of  assassination, 
so  they  threaded  the  Palatine  with  wonderful  subterranean  passages,  some  of  great  depth,  some 
of  enormous  extent.  The  Cryptoporticus,  which  preserves  remains  of  its  mosaic  floors  and  was 
once  covered  with  exquisite  stucco  bas-reliefs,  was  the  scene  of  the  murder  of  Caligula,  who  took 
the  most  elaborate  precautions  of  them  all  against  assassination.  It  extended  right  across  the 
Palatine  from  the  Forum  to  the  Circus  Maximus. 

The  monuments  of  the  Palatine  have  suffered  very  severely.  It  is  difficult  to  make  out  what 
most  of  them  were  ;  but  one,  at  any  rate  of  great  extent,  the  Stadium  of  Domitian,  is  very  clearly 
defined.  It  has  a  running-track  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  preserves  the  tradition  of  the 
ancient  Stadium  better  than  any  ruins  which  survive.  In  the  background  is  the  famous  Palm-tree 
of  the  Palatine  near  the  Church  of  S.  Bonaventura.     Above,  on  the  left,  is  the  Villa  Mills,  which  is 


Europe 


793 


now  in  the  process  of  demolition,  as  it  stands  on  the  top  of  a  palace  of  Augustus,  which,  in  its  turn, 
was  built  upon  the  palace  of  Hortensius. 

The  Belvedere  of  the  Palace  of  Augustus  on  the  Palatine  is  very  picturesque,  and,  of  course, 
formed  no  part  of  the  palace.  The  adjoining  garden  belongs  to  the  Villa  Mills,  and  was  formed 
a  few  centuries  ago  by  throwing  immense  quantities  of  earth  on  a  portion  of  the  palace  of 
Augustus ;  so  important  finds  may  be  expected  there.  The  demolition  of  the  Villa  Mills  has  been 
arrested  by  the  discovery  that  considerable  portions  of  the  palace  are  embodied  in  its  walls. 

The  Pantheon,  even  if  it  never  was  a  temple  of  all  the  gods,  is  one  of  the  noblest  monu- 
ments in  Rome.  It  was  built  as  a  portion  of  his  baths  by  the  great  and  wise  Agrippa,  the  son- 
in-law  of  Augustus,  whose  victories  won  the  Empire  for  Caesar's  diplomatic  nephew.  It  is  a 
large,  circular  building,  with  a  hole  in  the  roof,  like  the  most  modern  theatres,  except  that  there 
is  nothing  to  cover  it  up  in  cold  or  wet  weather.  The  legend  is  that  it  was  once  the  temple  of  all 
the  gods,  and  that  Our  Lord  was  included  among  them.  It  is  now  the  Westminster  Abbey  of 
United  Italy,  in  which  only  her  kings  may  be  buried.  But  Victor  Emanuel  II.  and  Humbert  I. 
lie  in  good  company,  for  Raphael  is  buried  there  side  by  side  with  Maria  Bibbiena,  the  Cardinal's 
niece,  who  was  to  have  been  his  wife. 

In  appearance  the  Pantheon  is  a  vast  circular  building  of  brickwork  restored  in  the  time  of 
Hadrian,  surmounted  by  the  dome  which  gave  the  dome-builders  of  the  fifteenth  century  the  in- 
spiration that  flowered  in  Brunelleschi's  Dome  at  Florence  (Santa  Maria  del  Fiore),  and  in  the 
dome  of  St.  Peter's.  But  the  noblest  portion  of  it  is  the  huge  portico,  little  spoiled,  which  still 
bears    the  name  of  Marcus  Agrippa,  the  son  of  Lucius  the  Consul,  who  had  it  made.      It  stands 


Photo  iy-i  [/.  »•.  McLeltan. 

THE     HOUSE    OF    THE    VESTAL    VIRGINS. 

Here   lived   the    Vestals,    maidens    who    devoted    their    lives  to   service    for   the    goddess    and  in  the  temple'of    the    undying 

flame.     Their  palace  was  very  large  and   beautiful.     The  statues  are  those  of  some  of  the  chief  Vestals. 


794 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


right  in  the  heart  of  Old  Rome  ;   the  Piazza  of  the  Pantheon  is  as  typical  a  piece  as  the  stranger 
can  visit. 

The  Basilica  of  Constantine  is  an  appropriate  subject  to  follow  the  Pantheon,  because  Michel- 
angelo's idea  for  the  new  St.  Peter's  was  to  put  the  dome  of  the  Pantheon  on  the  top  of  the 
Basilica  of  Constantine.  It  is  a  gorgeous  mass  of  old  red  brick  built  by  Maxentius,  the  brave  and 
defeated  rival  of  the  plausible  and  vacillating  Constantine,  who  partly  owed  his  empire  to  his 
alliance  with  the  Christians,  the  Socialists  of  his  day.  The  great  arches  shown  in  the  picture  are 
nearly  a  hundred  feet  high  and  a  hundred  feet  wide.  The  ceiling  is  formed  of  concrete  and 
weighs  thousands  of  tons.  On  its  front  are  arranged  some  of  the  finest  specimens  found  in  Rome 
of  the  old  purple  Egyptian  porphyry.     It  stands  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  extension  of  the  Forum, 


Photo  by'] 


I'J/ie  r/totoc/ti'om  Co.  Ltd. 


THE     INTERIOR    OF    THE    COLOSSEUM. 


All  the  marble  seats  which  filled  this  vast  auditorium  have  been  taken  away  at  various  times  to  provide  building 
material  for  Rome's  many  palaces.  The  excavated  part  ol  the  arena  shows  the  dens  for  the  wild  beasts,  which  were  located 
beneath   the  stage. 

adjoining  the  church  of  the  most  popular  saint  of  Rome,  the  gentle  St.  Francesca  Romana,  and 
the  site  of  the  great  temple  of  Venus  and  Rome,  which  was,  in  its  day,  the  finest  of  all  the  temples 
of  the  Imperial  City. 

The  Forum  Romanum  is,  with  the  exception  of  the  great  Temple  of  Karnak,  in  Egypt,  the 
most  wonderful  mass  of  ruins  in  the  Western  world,  and  it  possesses  an  interest  not  possessed 
by  Karnak,  because  Egypt  never  affected  the  West  directly,  and  the  Forum  was  the  workshop  of 
Rome,  in  which  religion,  law  and  civilization,  as  we  have  them  to-day,  were  forged.  The 
Forum  is  not  only  wonderful,  but  wonderfully  beautiful,  especially  towards  evening,  when  the 
glare  of  the  sun,  setting  behind  the  Palatine,  pours  in  unearthly  radiance  on  the  Colosseum,  and  the 
Arch  of  Titus,  and  the  whole  eastern  end  of  the  historic  valley.  For  the  Forum  is  a  valley  lying 
between  the  Palatine,  the  Capitol,  a  flank  of  the  Quirinal,  and  the  Esquihne  ;  the  place  to  which  the 
Romans  and  the  Etruscans  and  the  Sabines  could  come  down    from  their  entrenchments  on  their 


796 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


THE    COLOSSEUM. 
A  view    showing    the    gigantic    proportions  of  the    structure,    which    is    in    the    form  of  an  oval,    measuring    205    yards  by   170 
yards.     The    walls    are    pitted    with    holes,   where  the  iron  bolts  have  been   taken  away   to  be  used  elsewhere,  for  iron  was  difficult 
to  procure  during  the  Middle  Ages. 

separate  hills  to  do  their  marketing  and  sacrificing  to  the  gods.  It  still  contains  vast  remains  of 
the  law  courts,  built  by  .(Emilius  Paulus  and  Juhus  Caesar,  the  Palace  of  the  Vestal  Virgins,  the 
Fountain  of  Juturna,  the  remains  of  the  Temples  of  the  Twelve  Gods,  Saturn,  Vespasian,  Peace, 
Castor  and  Pollux,  Antoninus  and  Faustina,  Julius  Caesar,  Vesta,  and  Romulus  Augustulus,  and 
adjoins  the  Temples  of  Augustus  and  Jupiter  Stator,  and  the  Senate  House  of  Diocletian  and  the 
Archive-House  of  the  Republic.  It  was  the  market-place  and  the  chief  place  for  temples  from  the 
earliest  times.  But  until  the  time  of  Julius  Caesar  it  only  went  about  as  far  as  the  three  columns 
of  the  Temple  of  Castor  and  Pollux,  shown  in  the  picture.  He  added  the  eastern  portion,  terminated 
by  the  Arch  of  Titus,  and  filled  with  the  Palace  of  the  Vestal  Virgins,  the  residence  of  the  Pontifex 
Maximus,  various  rows  of  shops,  and  the  old  prison  going  back  to  Republican  times,  which  is  now 
being  excavated. 

At  the  far  end  of  the  illustration  is  the  Colosseum,  in  front  of  which  are  the  three  arches  of  the 
Basihca  of  Constantine,  the  little  round  temple  of  Romulus  Augustulus,  the  grand  mass  of  the 
temple  of  Antoninus  and  Faustina,  which  will  shortly  be  free  from  the  church  inside  it.  In  front 
of  that  are  the  remains  of  the  Basilica  of  ^milius  Paulus,  and  at  this  end  the  arch  of  Septimius 
Severus. 

In  front  of  the  picture  on  the  right-hand  side  is  the  Basilica  of  Juhus  Caesar  ;  behind  that,  in 
succession,  are  the  three  columns  of  the  Temple  of  Castor  and  Pollux,  the  Fountain  of  Juturna, 
the  Palace  of  the  Vestals,  and,  right  at  the  back,  the  Arch  of  Titus.  Towering  over  the  right-hand 
side  of  the  picture  from  the  Temple  of  Castor  to  the  Arch  of  Titus  is  the  Palatine  Hill,  one  of  the 
most  splendid  masses  of  ruins  in  Rome,  embosomed  in  dark  ilex  trees  in  front,  and  embowered  in 
roses  behind.  Much  of  its  top  is  covered  with  the  palaces  of  the  Caesars,  with  the  scanty  remains 
of  a  few  temples,  the  citadel  of  Romulus  and  the  house  of  the  mother  of  Germanicus.     This  house 


Europe 


797 


is  immensely  interesting  because  it  is  so  well  preserved  and  belongs  to  the  day  when  Our  Lord  was 
walking  on  the  earth. 

Both  the  Forum  and  the  Palatine,  as  is  natural,  abound  in  picturesque  legend  and  history.  At 
the  Fountain  of  Juturna,  for  instance,  terraced  with  fair  white  marble  in  the  days  of  the  Emperors, 
Castor  and  Pollux  watered  their  milk-white  steeds  after  the  battle  of  Lake  Regillus.  A  depression 
in  the  Forum  marks  the  spot  where  Marcus  Curtius  leapt  fully  armed  on  his  charger  into  the  chasm 
which  was  to  close  when  the  greatest  treasure  in  Rome  had  been  thrown  into  it.  The  core  of  a 
temple  with  a  laurel  grove  inside  it  stands  just  behind  the  spot  where  Mark  Antony  delivered  that 
oration  over  the  body  of  Caesar.  By  the  Shrine  of  the  Drain-Goddess,  in  front  of  the  Basilica 
jEmilia,  Virginius  killed  his  daughter,  to  save  her  from  the  mighty  Appius  Claudius  ;  and  near  the 
Arch  of  Septimius  Severus  was  the  Comitia,  where  the  ancient  Romans  passed  their  laws. 

On  the  Palatine  is  the  cave  of  the  Wolf  which  suckled  Romulus  and  Remus,  and  the  secret 
passage  in  which  Rome's  bloodiest  emperor  met  his  end.  While  in  the  ruins  of  the  Court  School, 
on  the  farther  face,  was  found  the  famous  stone  incised  with  the  ass-headed  caricature  of  Our  Lord 
on  his  Cross.  There  is  an  odd  explanation  for  this.  The  Jews  valued  the  ass  so  highly  as  a  water- 
finder  in  the  desert  that  the  Romans  thought  they  worshipped  it,  and  it  was  because  Our  Lord 
was  a  Jew,  and  in  allusion  to  this,  that  the  boy  caricatured  it  and  gave  the  Crucified  Saviour  an  ass's 
head.     The  Forum  and  the  Palatine  are  infinitely  the  most  interesting  parts  of  Rome. 

The  Temple  of  Vespasian  hcis  no  /particular  interest ;  it  is  merely  a  fine  architectural  fragment, 
and  not  very  perfect.  The  temple  with  low  columns  behind  it  is  the  Temple  of  the  Twelve  Gods, 
whose  principal  feature  is  the  record  of  its  restoration  by  Pius  IX.  The  large  Temple  of  Saturn,  on 
the  other  hand,  is  not  only  one  of  the  finest  surviving  pieces  of  ancient  Roman  architecture  in  Rome, 


Photo  by'i  [.Veirlon  d-  Ci'. 

THE    ARCH     OF    CONSTANTINE. 

The  most  elaborate  of   the  three  triumphal  arches  of  Ancient  Rome.    Portions  of  an  earlier  arch  have  been  built  into  it.    It   was 

converted  into  a  castle  during  the  tenth  century,   and  afterwards  belonged  to  the  notorious  family  of  the   Frangipani. 


798 


The   Wonders   of   the  World 


it  is  of  high  interest  because  its 
vaults,  only  partly  laid  bare, 
formed  the  Treasury  of  the 
Republic,  and  in  front  of  it 
are  the  remains  of  the  Golden 
Milestone.  The  grass  round 
its  columns  is  ablaze  with 
irises  in  spring  and  the  deep- 
hued  Sicilian  marigolds  later. 
The  Via  Sacra,  up  which  the 
Consul  wound  to  the  Capitol 
at  the  head  of  his  armies  when 
he  was  accorded  a  triumph, 
runs  right  underneath  the 
Temple  of  Saturn.  Its  columns 
are  monoliths.  The  slope  on 
the  right  hand  of  the  picture 
leads  up  to  the  Capitol,  on 
which  there  are  no  ancient 
Roman  buildings,  except  the 
Tabularium,  surviving,  it  being 
given  up  to  the  Municipality 
and  the  two  museums  de- 
signed by  Michelangelo,  the 
old  Aracceli  church  and  the 
gigantic  new  Capitol  erected  as 
a  monument  to  United  Italy. 

The  Arch  of  Septimius 
Severus  is  the  first  object  in 
the  Forum  upon  which  the 
eyes  of  most  visitors  fall.  Its 
sculptures  are  not  among  the 
best  in  Rome,  but  have  the 
""^  advantage  of  being  clear  and 
THE   ARCH   OF  TITUS.  well-prcservcd.      The  building 

A  beautifully-proportioned    specimen  of   Roman  architecture.     On  the  inside  of  the  chnwiTlP"         fhronP"ll        fhf        arrfl 

arch  are  bas-reliefs    showing  the  triumphal    procession    which    took  place  after  the  fall  ^                        ° 

of  Jerusalem,  and    the    trophies    of    showbread   and   the   seven-branched   golden  candle-  is      the     aiicient     ScnatC     HoUSC 

•tick  carried  in  triumph.  ^^        ^^^^^        j^^^        ^.^^^jj^         ^^ 

Diocletian  ;  but  it  is  unfortunately  at  present  occupied  by  Spanish  monks,  and  its  crypt,  which 
contains  many  remains  of  the  ancient  Senate  House,  whose  facade  is  almost  unaltered,  is  sealed 
up.     The  Comitium  was  held  right  in  front  of  it. 

The  Arch  of  Titus  is  one  of  the  least  ornate  and  the  most  elegant  of  Roman  arches.  Its 
silvery  form  at  sunset,  or  by  moonlight,  is  strikingly  beautiful,  but  it  owes  its  celebrity  to  the 
representation  of  the  sacred  emblems  of  Judaism,  brought  to  Rome  by  .Titus  for  his  Triumph, 
which,  after  many  vicissitudes,  such  as  being  carried  to  Carthage  and  back,  were  finally  lost  sight 
of  in  the  dark  ages  which  followed  the  break-up  of  the  Roman  power.  Its  position  is  a  very 
appropriate  one,  for  Titus  built  the  Colosseum  with  the  labour  of  the  captives  taken  in  the 
Jewish  wars.  On  the  left  of  the  arch  are  the  beautiful  gardens  of  the  Palatine,  and  in  front  are 
fragments  of  the  colossal  columns  of  the  Temple  of  Venus  and  Rome. 


Europe 


799 


About  the  same  distance  from  the  Colosseum  as  the  Arch  of  Titus  is  the  Arch  of  Constantine, 
one  of  the  most  perfect  and  ornate  of  the  great  arches  of  Imperial  times  surviving  in  Rome.  Its 
merit  is  of  varying  quality,  because  Constantine  used  the  materials  of  an  earlier  arch  of  far  better 
workmanship  than  his  men  put  into  the  new  part.  The  Via  Sacra  passed  under  it,  and  has  been 
laid  bare  in  recent  excavations.  The  gigantic  statue  of  Nero,  which  gave  the  Colosseum  its  name, 
stood  in  the  angle  between  it  and  the  Colosseum.  The  Colosseum  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  Lake 
of  the  Golden  House  of  Nero,  who  had  visions  of  putting  up  a  building  so  vast  that  it  would  unite 
the  Palatine  and  the  Esquiline  into  a  single  hill. 

The  Colosseum,  called  by  the  Romans  the  Flavian  Amphitheatre,  was  erected  by  Vespasian 
and  Titus,  and  is  one  of  the  most  magnificent  buildings  in  the  world.  Several  of  the  largest 
buildings  in  Rome  have  been  constructed  with  stone  stolen  from  it  and  yet  half  of  it  is  entire. 
Sentimentally,  it  is  not  so  interesting  as  Papal  tradition  would  have  us  believe,  for  the  chief  martyr- 
doms of  Christians  did  not  take  place  in  the  Colosseum,  but  in  the  Circus  Maximus  and  the  Circus 
near  St.  Peter's.  However,  Commodus  used  to  go  down  into  the  arena  to  kill  some  of  his  subjects 
to  amuse  the  rest.  The  full-page  illustration  gives  the  best  view,  except  that  it  does  not  show 
the  most  perfect  portion ;  for  in  it  you  can  see  where  the  stones  were  stripped  for  the  other  build- 
ings, and  behind  the  Colosseum  rises  the  splendid  mass  of  the  Lateran  with  its  statues  standing 
out  clear  against  the  sky,  while  in  front  of  it  is  one  of  the  remaining^apses  of  the  great  Temple  of 


T"^^ 


-^^ 


^u 


*v 


:^>fH 

k     ^m 

M 

■■_ 

-"'<<^^H 

;  'H 

I  ^^   ^ 

,    -a 

Mi 

'% 

il 

^>- 

/ 

^ 

«  '^^^^^^H 

1 

'■t' 

1* 

nM'"^. 

'"''. 

^'^-''gHI 

E^  "1 

r'V 

.1 

M' 

IT 

iiyBi 

I  ni 

'^-^'^^B 

1 

li 

^ 

^« 

^Bi 

^■'Tm 

-'^■''•■«;v„^^ 

1 

1 

THE    AQUEDUCT    OF    CLAUDIUS. 

Rome  was  supplied  with  water  by  means  of  a  system  of  these  gigantic  aqueducts.  The  Claudian  aqueduct  was  forty-two 
miles  long,  and  brought  water  from  the  neighbourhood  of  Subiaco,  and  finally  another  aqueduct,  the  Anio  Novus,  was 
built    upon  the  top  of  it. 


80D 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Photo  by] 


[J.  »'.  Mclellan. 


THE    STADIUM. 


At  one  time  supposed  to  form  an  arena  for  athletic  games,  this  splendid  court  is  now  identified  as  having  been  a  pleasure 
garden  of  the  Emperors.  The  semicircular  formation  in  the  foreground  is  the  base  of  a  large  white  marble  fountain.  Many 
beautiful  pieces  of  sculpture  were  discovered  here. 

Venus  and  Rome,  and  on  the  right  is  the  last  spur  of  the  CseUan,  now  the  Garden  of  the  Passionist 
Fathers,  supposed  by  some  to  have  been  occupied  by  the  Vivarium,  where  the  wild  beasts  were 
kept  alive  for  the  gladiatorial  shows.  The  dimensions  of  the  Colosseum  are  gigantic.  It  is  built 
of  the  white  Roman  travertine,  which  is  almost  as  beautiful  as  marble,  and  the  oval  measures 
two  hundred  and  five  yards  by  one  hundred  and  seventy  yards.  The  perfect  portions  of  the  walls 
are  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  feet  high,  and  the  whole  of  this  gigantic  ellipse  was  covered  by  an 
awning  suspended  from  masts  whose  sockets  still  remain. 

The  interior  of  the  Colosseum  is  very  interesting  and  very  ugly.  Half  of  the  arena  has  been 
excavated  to  show  the  dens  in  which  the  wild  beasts  were  kept,  the  grooves  for  the  elevators 
in  which  they  were  sent  up,  and  the  like.  The  auditorium  has  been  stripped  of  its  seats  to 
provide  building  materials  for  the  friends  of  various  Popes.  Not  one  marble  seat  remains  in  its 
place,  but  the  caretaker  tells  you  glibly  where  the  Emperor's  seats  and  the  seats  for  the  Vestal 
Virgins  and  Senators  used  to  stand.  The  interior  still  shows  traces  of  various  chapels  which  were 
fitted  up  in  the  ruin,  but  does  not  give  much  indication  of  the  days  when  it  was  a  castle  of  the 
Frangipani.  The  view  from  the  top  is  extremely  fine,  one  of  the  best  in  Rome.  In  the  good  old 
days  of  Pius  IX.,  when  the  grass  grew  in  the  streets,  the  Colosseum  was  the  most  glorious  tangle  of 
wild  flowers  imaginable.  They  have  been  cleared  out  with  too  severe  a  hand  ;  the  Colosseum  now 
looks  as  if  it  had  been  scrubbed  and  sand-papered  for  a  visit  of  the  German  Emperor.  I  remember 
well  the  authorities  of  Taormina  clearing  the  wild  flowers  out  of  the  Theatre  for  this  oppressive 
honour.  There  are  many  owls  living  in  the  Colosseum,  but  on  moonlight  nights  you  cannot  hear 
their  screech  for  the  confidences  of  the  Americans.  The  arena  of  the  Colosseum  is  open  night  and 
day,  and  it  is  one  of  the  few  free  shows  of  Rome.     The  Colosseum  could  accommodate  from  fifty 


[By  the  Photochroni  Co.,  Lid. 


THE    JUNGFRAU. 


It  is  the  distant  view  of  The  Jungfrau  that  gives  to  the  mountain  its  charm  ;  for  delicate  as  it  is  in  colouring,  and  crowned 
with  the  dazzling  white  of  snow,  yet  its  girth  and  height  creates  an  impression  of  grandeur  which  nothing  can  dispel. 


Europe 


80 1 


thousand  to  eighty  thousand  people,  and  it  was  opened  with  gladiatorial  shows  which  lasted  for  a 
hundred  days. 

The  Baths  of  Caracalla  form  one  of  the  most  wonderful  masses  of  ruins  in  Rome.  They 
cover  a  wide  area  and  are  of  enormous  size.  Once  upon  a  time  the  ruddy  brick  of  the  ruins  was 
covered  with  a  veneer  of  precious  marbles.  Many  fragments  of  the  gorgeous  mosaics  in  precious 
porphyry,  serpentine,  and  yellow  African  marble,  still  line  the  gigantic  halls,  as  uneven  as  the 
floor  of  St.  Mark's  at  Venice.  The  use  of  these  baths  was  free,  and  besides  hot  and  cold  bathing 
pools,  and  all  the  other  adjuncts  necessary  for  the  bath,  there  were  a  running  course  and  a  library 
and  a  stadium.  A  few  years  ago  the  ruins  were  as  naked  as  the  Colosseum,  but  better  taste 
has  prevailed,  and  now  wild  vegetation  is  allowed  to  take  its  part  in  the  scheme  of  beauty. 
The  Baths  of  Diocletian,  which  now  house  the  National  Museum,  covered  much  more  ground  and 
are  much  more  perfect.  A  good  many  of  their  chambers  still  preserve  their  roofs,  and  the  principal 
chamber  with  comparatively  slight  changes  was  adapted  by  Michelangelo  into  the  transepts  of  the 
Church  of  S.  Maria  degli  Angeli.  The  Baths  of  Caracalla  are,  unfortunately,  rather  far  out — nearly 
a  mile  beyond  the  Palatine,  and  there  is  no  tramway  which  serves  them.  They  are  close  to  the 
Porta  S.  Sebastiano,  the  gate  for  the  Via  Appia. 

The  Romans  buried  their  dead  on  each  side  of  the  principal  roads  leading  out  of  the  city. 
Far  the  most  ancient  and  important  road  of  Rome  was  the  Via  Appia,  leading  up  from  the 
southern  ports,  so  its  sides  became  the  favourite  cemetery.  An  immense  number  of  tombs 
border  it  still — none  of  them  perfect,  but  some  of  them  considerable  and  interesting.  The  most 
striking  of  them  all,  on  account  of  its  enormous  size,  is  the  tomb  of  Cjecilia  Metella.  It  was  built 
for  the  wife  of  the  Younger  Crassus,  son  of  the  Triumvir,  who  was  the  richest   Roman  of  his 


THE    CRIPTOPORTICUS    OF    TIBERIUS.    THE    PALATINE. 

Tnia    covered    passage    was    tunnelled    underneath  a  BsK-pond  or  piscina,    th^   damp    from    which    has    stained    the  stucco 

ornamentation.     It  led  to  an  open  space  in   front  of   the   Imperial   Palace. 

52 


802 


The  Wonders   of  the  World 


day.  In  the  thirteenth  century  the  Gaetani  turned  it  into  a  castle.  Close  by  it  is  the  fine 
Circus  of  Maxentius.  The  drive  along  the  tombs  of  the  Via  Appia  is  the  favourite  tourist-drive  of 
Rome.  The  Catacombs  of  Saint  Calixtus,  which  are  the  most  visited,  are  on  it,  a  mile  and  a  quarter 
from  the  city  gates.  The  tombs  of  the  Appian  Way  are  a  landmark  on  the  Roman  golf-links,  vi-hich 
lie  between  it  and  the  Claudian  Aqueduct,  out  on  the  Campagna.  The  tombs  of  the  Latin  Way, 
the  next  of  the  great  roads  eastwards,  are  far  more  interesting — two  of  them — than  any  on  the 
Appian  Way.  They  are  rather  in  the  Etruscan  style  and  have  a  chapel  or  feasting  room  above 
and  tomb-chambers  below.  These  contain  the  best  stucco  bas-reliefs  which  are  left  in  situ  anjrwhere 
near  Rome.     This  part  of  the  Campagna  is  rather  a  disappointing  place  for  wild  flowers. 

The  Claudian  Aqueduct    is   one   of   the   most  beautiful    of  the    monuments  of  ancient  Rome. 

It  is  of  great  height,  splendid  masonry, 
and  immense  length,  and  in  the  spring 
its  base  is  buried  in  violets  every  here 
and  there.  Rome  was  supplied  with 
water  by  a  series  of  these  great  aque- 
ducts radiating  into  the  city  from  the 
Campagna,  to  carry  the  waters  of  the 
Anio  and  other  neighbouring  rivers 
into  Rome.  Some  of  them  are  still 
in  use  and  supply  very  pure  water. 
Towards  sunset  the  great  black  skele- 
tons of  these  ancient  aqueducts, 
stretching  across  the  Campagna,  form 
a  marvellously  impressive  sight.  The 
Aqueduct  of  Claudius,  made  by  the 
Emperor  of  that  name,  a.d.  52,  was 
forty-two  miles  long,  and  another 
aqueduct,  the  Anio  Novus,  was  built 
on  the  top  of  it. 

The  House  of  the  Vestal  Virgins 
is  interesting  rather  than  beautiful, 
though  as  the  summer  draws  on  the 
China  roses  round  the  pools  with  their 
flaming  crimson  blossoms  relieve  its 
bareness.  The  chambers  of  the  Virgins 
are  not  complete  enough  to  convey 
much  to  the  ordinary  visitor,  but  the 


Photo  (..»]  [//.  C.  While  Co. 

THE    TEMPLE    OF    VESTA. 

Known,  though  for  insufficient  reason,  by  this  title,  this  beautiful  little 
temple  is  one  of  the  best  preserved  relics  of  ancient  Rome,  It  is  built  en- 
tirely of  marble,   a  fabric  which    enhances    the    beauty    of    its    twenty    Corin- 


thia 


colun 


buildings  are  quite  extensive  and  are 
adorned  with  some  of  the  statues  found  in  them.  The  position  of  a  Vestal — that  is,  one  of  the 
six  priestesses  who  attended  to  the  shrine  of  Vesta,  the  Goddess  of  the  Sacred  Fire — was  the 
most  honourable  to  which  a  Roman  woman  could  aspire.  But  it  involved  strict  celibacy,  and  if 
one  was  found  to  be  unchaste  she  was  buried  ahve.  One  such  was  exhumed  in  the  last  century 
on  the  premises  of  the  British  Embassy,  and  that  may  have  been  their  execution  ground. 

The  most  central  fact  in  the  Roman  religion  was  the  keeping  alive  of  the  sacred  fire  in  the 
Temple  of  Vesta  in  the  Forum.  Unfortunately  nothing  remains  of  the  temple  but  its  rubble  core 
— a  mass  of  concrete  rudely  circular  in  form.  The  dear  little  shrine  beside  it,  an  angle  with  a 
single  column,  is  not  the  Temple  of  Vesta,  and  probably  had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  It  seems  to 
have  been  put  up  for  the  convenience  of  photographers.  The  other  so-called  Temple  of  Vesta, 
ascribed   by   scholars   to    Hercules   Boarius,    the   God  of  the   Ox-Market,  stands   in   the   ancient 


Photo  bi/]  [//.  c.  White  Co. 

THE     BATHS    OF    CARACALLA. 

The  magnificence  of  these  baths  was  unparalleled  even  amongst  a  nation  of  luxurious  bathers.     They  were   begun  in  A.D.   212 

by  Caracalla.  and  were  finished  by  Alexander  Severus.     The  number  of  baths  in  the  building  was   1.600, 


8o4 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


THE    APPIAN    WAY. 


PImtos  by']  y.  W.  McLellnn. 

THE    BELVEDERE    ON    THE    PALATINE    HILL. 

The  upper  photograph  gives  a  view  of  Rome's  famous  street  of 
the  Dead,  with  the  huge  tomb  of  Metella  on  the  left.  The  lower 
i«''a  beautiful  spot  in  the  gardens  of  the  House  of  Augustus. 


Ox-Market  near  the  Bocca  di  Verita — the  stone 
face  which  bites  the  hands  of  hars.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  beautiful  objects  in  Rome  in  spite 
of  its  job-roof.  Miniature  representations  of  it 
in  bronze  are  sold  in  every  knick-knack  shop 
as  inkpots. 

The  Column  of  Trajan  in  his  Forum,  like 
the  Column  of  the  Antonines  in  the  Piazza 
Colonna,  is  covered  with  bas-reliefs  up  to  the 
base  of  the  statue  of  some  saint  promiscuously 
erected  on  it.  The  bas-reliefs  represent  Trajan's 
famous  Dacian  Expedition.  A  few  years  ago 
his  tomb  was  discovered  underneath  it,  but  it 
contained  nothing.  I  saw  it  and  I  have  been 
to  the  top  of  the  column  by  the  easy  staircase 
inside.  The  sunken  area,  in  which  it  stands, 
now  given  up  to  diseased  and  ownerless  cats, 
forms  only  a  portion  of  the  vast  Ulpian  Basilica 
and  Libraries.  This  white  and  beautiful 
column  is  one  of  the  landmarks  of  Rome. 

The  Vatican. — ^For  a  parallel  to  the  Vatican, 
with  its  thousands  of  chambers,  (variously 
estimated  at  from  thirteen  thousand  to  twenty- 
seven  thousand,  according  to  the  type  of 
chamber  included),  and  its  thousands  of  in- 
habitants, culminating  in  the  semi-divine  head 
of  a  religion,  one  must  go  to  Asia.  Europe 
has  nothing  to  match  it,  though  the  Louvre 
covers  an  actually  larger  space  of  ground  and 
Mount  Athos  has  more  inhabitants. 

Here  lives  the  aged  Pope  himself ;  here  for 
the  most  part  live  the  Cardinals  of  his  Court, 
the  Cardinals  who  are  at  the  head  of  great 
institutions  like  the  Inquisition  ;  here  for  the 
most  part  live  the  rest  of  the  Papal  Court,  who 
carry  on  the  business  of  the  Vatican  as  the 
centre  of  the  Roman  Catholic  religion,  and  a 
legion  of  minor  ecclesiastics  and  servants  who 
are  necessary  to  the  maintenance  of  the  Papal 
Court  and  its  treasures. 

For  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the 
Vatican  is  an  expression  with  two  very  different 
meanings.  There  is  the  Vatican  which  con- 
tains the  Papal  Court  and  stands  for  the  Papal 
system  as  the  Sublime  Porte  does  for  the 
Ottoman  Empire ;  and  there  is  the  Vatican 
which  is  the  grandest  series  of  museums  in  the 
world.  As  the  British  public  knows  the  Vatican 
chiefly  by   its  museums,  they  must  be  taken 


Europe 


805 


here  before  any  account  is  given  of  the 
Papal  Court  and  the  growth  of  the  Vatican 
buildings. 

The  Pope  lives  in  one  of  the  most  un- 
desirable parts  of  his  palace.  It  may  or 
may  not  be  true  that  he  occupied  a  tiny 
room  with  a  southern  aspect  in  the  hot 
weather  of  igii  ;  it  might  be  a  good  thing 
to  do  it  in  the  winter.  In  any  case,  the 
Papal  Apartments  are  in  the  block  built  by 
Sixtus  v.,  over  the  right-hand  side  of  the 
colonnade  depicted  in  the  picture.  Raphael's 
loggie  run  round  the  open  quadrangle  adjoin- 
ing ;  the  celebrated  Bronze  Door  is  at  the 
left-hand  end  of  the  right-hand  colonnade. 
The  Sixtine  Chapel  shows  its  roof  between 
the  Vatican  and  St.  Peter's.  Formerly  one 
entered  the  Sixtine  Chapel  through  the 
Bronze  Door  and  Algardi's  Staircase  ;  now 
one  has  to  go  all  round  the  back  of  St. 
Peter's  and  through  the  Sculpture  Gallery — 
an  ordinance  of  the  Pope  which  imposes  a 
maximum  of  inconvenience  and  expense  on 
the  innocent  sightseer.  The  Bronze  Door  is 
the  best  place  for  seeing  the  Swiss  Guard, 
whose  guard-room  is  just  inside. 

The  Vatican  Gardens,  which  you  pass 
on  your  left  going  up  to  the  entrance  of 
the  Sculpture  Gallery,  are  of  great  extent 
and  contain  part  of  the  Leonine  Wall  and 
Observatory,  a  fac-simile  of  the  Grotto 
of  Lourdes,  and  various  groves,  classical 
gardens  and  fountains.  They  are  built  into 
the  bastions  of  the  city  wall  and  are,  there- 
fore, very  lofty  and  imposing.  The  most 
charming  thing  in  them  is  the  summer 
pavilion  of  Pope  Pius  IV.,  the  scene  of  many 
gorgeous  festivities,  on  which  the  curse  of 
malaria  now  rests. 

The  Vatican  was  never  included  among 
the  Seven  Hills,  though  it  was  called  the 
Mons  Vaticanus.  In  classical  times  it  was 
celebrated  for  the  badness  of  its  wine  and 
the  badness  of  its  air.  On  the  flat  ground 
below  it  the  great  Lucius  Quinctius  Cin- 
cinnatus  had  a  farm  of  four  acres,  which 
was  called  the  Prata  Quinctia,  and  the 
.  district  has  retained  the  name  of  Prate 
to  this  day.     The  curly-haired  Cincinnatus 


■  iaS3^^.?*^ 


TRAJAN'S    COLUMN. 


8o6 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


was  ploughing  when  the  envoys  saluted  him  as  Dictator.  The  Vatican  owed  its  importance  to 
the  Circus  which  Caligula  established  on  the  Cornelian  road  almost  on  the  site  of  St.  Peter's. 
Nero  was  fond  of  baiting  Christians  here  to  amuse  the  populace,  and  one  of  them  was  St.  Peter, 
whom  he  crucified  for  making  the  magician  whom  we  know  as  Simon  Magus  fall  when  he  was 
flying  (perhaps  with  some  species  of  aeroplane)  by  his  will-power.  As  the  Romans  always  buried 
people  beside  a  road  leading  out  of  the  city,  St.  Peter  was  buried  on  the  Via  Cornelia,  which  decided 
where  the  cult  of  Christianity  should  take  root.  The  site  of  his  execution  is  between  St.  Peter's 
and  its  sacristy,  on  the  place  where  the  obelisk  which  is  now  in  the  Piazza  of  St.  Peter's  used  to 
stand.  Constantine  the  Great  built  one  of  his  six  basilicas  over  the  tomb,  but  the  founder  of  the 
Vatican  Palace  is  generally  considered  to  be  Pope  Symmachus  (498-514).     The  two  great  Popes, 

Innocent  IIL  and  Nicholas  IIL,  largely 
increased  the  Palace,  and  as  it  was  out- 
side the  city  in  a  very  strong  position, 
it  continued  to  grow  until,  about  a 
thousand  years  after  Pope  Symmachus' s 
time,  Nicholas  V.,  the  founder  of  the 
Vatican  Library  and  one  of  the  chief 
founders  of  the  Renaissance  of  Greek 
learning,  conceived  the  idea  of  making 
the  Vatican  the  Palatine  of  the  Popes — 
a  palace  that  should  be  a  city  and  con- 
tain the  finest  library  in  the  world ; 
which  for  manuscripts  it  still  is.  The 
memory  of  Nicholas  V.  is  enshrined  in 
the  exquisite  little  chapel  which  he  com- 
missioned Fra  Angelico  to  fresco  for  him. 
Not  content  with  making  the  Vati- 
can the  hill  of  palaces,  he  espoused 
Alberti's  idea  of  taking  down  the  ex- 
quisite and  venerable  but  tottering 
fabric  of  Old  St.  Peter's,  instead  of  re- 
building it,  and  was,  therefore,  in  a  way 
the  father  of  the  New  St.  Peter's.  But 
the  present  building  owes  little  to  him. 
The  latter  half  of  the  fifteenth 
century  saw  the  commencement  of  a 
great  building  period  at  the  Vatican, 
for  Sixtus  IV.  (1471-1484)  had  the  Sixtine  Chapel  built  for  him  ;  and  Innocent  VIII.  (1484-1492) 
had  the  beautiful  Casino  in  the  Vatican  Gardens,  which  now  forms  part  of  the  Sculpture  Gallery, 
built  for  him  ;  Alexander  VI.,  the  execrated  Borgia  (i 492-1503),  built  the  famous  Borgia 
Apartments,  frescoed  by  Pinturicchio  ;  and  Julius  II.  (1503-1513)  had  Bramante  to  build  the  Cortile 
of  the  Belvedere,  which  is  twelve  hundred  feet  long,  to  join  Innocent's  pavilion  on  to  the  palace, 
and  the  enormous  Cortile  of  San  Damaso,  whose  loggie  were  frescoed  from  the  designs  of  Raphael.  Leo 
X.  made  Raphael  architect  of  St.  Peter's.  Pius  IV.,  the  Medici  Pope  who  was  not  a  real  Medici 
(1559-1565),  built  the  exquisite  pavilion  in  the  Vatican  Gardens  ;  and  Sixtus  V.  (1585-1590),  though  he 
only  reigned  five  years,  built  the  enormous  wing  of  the  Courtyard  of  San  Damaso,  which  has  been  the 
residence  of  the  Popes  ever  since.  Pius  VI.,  Pius  VII.  and  Clement  XIV.  added  enormously  to  the 
Sculpture  Gallery — three  of  the  most  unfortunate  of  the  Popes,  for  Pius  VI.  and  Pius  VII.  were 
carried  off  prisoners  by  Napoleon,  and  Clement  XIV.  was  poisoned  by  the  Jesuits.    Leo  XIII.  cleared 


I'/wlu  bit]  [y.  H'.  .KcUllan. 

THE    CASTLE    OF    SAN    ANGELO. 

Originally  erected  by   Hadrian  in  A.D.   136  as  a  tomb  for  himself  and 

his    heirs,    this    splendid    monument,    once    encrusted    with    marble,    was 

afterwards    converted  into  a  fortress  and  has  suffered  many  sieges  during 

the  troublous  times  it   has  passed  through. 


8o8 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


>>l>i/ri(jlit  hf/] 


[//.  C.  H'MleCo. 


the  books  out  of  the  Borgia  Apart- 
ments and  built  a  new  library 
under  the  great  hall  of  the  Vatican 
Library  (the  famous  Leonine 
Library),  which  now  contains  all 
the  printed  books.  And  that,  in 
brief,  is  the  story  of  the  building 
of  the  Vatican. 

Any  detailed  description  of  the 
Papal  hierarchy  would  be  out  of 
place  here. 

The  Vatican  Sculpture  Gallery 
is  without  a  rival.  It  contains 
more  fine  ancient  statues  than  all 
the  other  museums  of  the  world 
put  together.  For  the  Emperors 
and  courtiers  of  Ancient  Rome, 
with  the  tribute  of  conquered 
worlds  flowing  into  their  coffers, 
had  boundless  wealth,  and  spent 
it  largely  on  the  embellishment 
of  their  gardens  and  palaces,  called 
collectively  villas,  with  copies,  by 
the  best  Greek  artists  of  the  day, 
of  the  most  famous  masterpieces 
of  the  Golden  Age  of  Greek  sculp- 
ture. 

And  the  Popes  enjoyed  Home 
Rule  in  Central  Italy  in  the  sixteenth,  seventeenth  and  eighteenth  centuries,  when  these  trea- 
sures were  chiefly  discovered.  Here  are  the  Apollo  Belvedere,  the  Laocoon,  the  Discobolus 
of  Myron,  the  Genius  of  the  Vatican,  Apollo  surrounded  by  the  Muses,  the  Venus  of  Cnidus, 
Apollo  the  Lizard-killer,  the  Ariadne  and  the  Meleager  ;  and  glorious  portrait  statues  like  that 
of  the  young  Augustus.  Here  are  wonderful  statues  of  wild  animals  reproduced  in  something 
like  their  natural  colours  by  the  use  of  priceless  coloured  marbles  ;  and  matchless  ancient  Roman 
marble  furniture — vases,  friezes,  candelabra,  and  so  on,  preserved  in  the  Gallery  of  the 
Candelabra  and  elsewhere.  Next  to  this  gallery  is  that  which  contains  Raphael's  tapes- 
tries, the  wonderful  series  woven  for  Leo  X.  by  Flemish  artists  from  the  cartoons  of  the 
Miraculous  Draught  of  Fishes,  and  so  on,  which  we  have  here  in  England.  There  are  thou- 
sands of  antique  statues  in  the  Vatican,  and  an  unequalled  collection  of  ancient  inscriptions. 

Hardly  less  valuable  for  the  study  of  ancient  Art  is  the  famous  Etruscan  Museum  of  the 
Vatican,  which,  besides  the  marvellous  gold  jewellery  of  the  Cerveteri  Tombs,  contains 
a  wonderful  collection  of  Etruscan  bronze  furniture,  taken  from  other  tombs ;  sculpture 
and  paintings,  and  the  world's  grandest  collection  of  Greek  vases  and  bowls,  most  of  them 
discovered  in  the  Etruscan  cemetery  on  Prince  Bonaparte's  estate,  which  embraces  the  ancient 
Etruscan  city  of  Vulci. 

It  is  not  so  surprising  as  it  sounds  that  the  world  should  owe  its  chief  knowledge  of  Greek 
vases  to  an  Etruscan  cemetery.  For  the  Etruscan,  like  the  Egyptian,  filled  his  tombs  with  the 
domestic  articles,  to  which  they  had  been  accustomed  in  life,  for  the  use  of  the  dead,  and  the 
Etruscan  was  no  artist.     He  preferred  to  import  the  beautiful  pottery  of  the  Ceramicus  at  Athens, 


THE    VATICAN. 


A  bird's-eye  view  of  the  Palace  of  tfie  Pope.  It  is  the  largest  palace  in  the 
world,  covering  an  area  of  thirteen  and  a  half  acres  and  containing  about 
1,000  halls  and  apartments. 


Europe 


809 


though  occasionally  he  imitated  it  instead,  with  pitiful  results.  To  these  vases  we  owe  much  of 
our  knowledge  of  the  life  of  the  ancient  Greeks.  There  is  a  piece  of  music  on  one  of  them  which 
has  been  interpreted  and  published  in  our  notation. 

The  Egyptian  Museum  of  the  Vatican  is  not  comparable  to  the  Etruscan,  because,  though  the 
Egyptian  religion  was  so  popular  in  Imperial  Rome,  there  were  not  many  Egyptian  temples  and 
mausolea  on  Italian  soil ;  and  the  Vatican  collection  consists  almost  entirely  of  things  found  in  Italy. 

The  articles  found  in  the  Catacombs  and  at  Ostia  are  in  the  Christian  and  Profane  Museum  of 
the  Vatican  Library. 

The  Vatican  Picture  Gallery  contains  few  pictures  compared  to  the  great  galleries  of  Florence 
or  Milan,  though  some  of  them,  like  the  "  Transfiguration,"  are  among  the  greatest  pictures 
in  the  world.  It  was  this  picture  upon  which  Raphael  laid  his  last  brush  in  the  breezy  room 
at  the  angle  of  the  Borgo  opposite  the  Palazzo  Giraud,  where  he  breathed  his  last.  It  was  this 
picture  which  the  Romans  carried  in  the  funeral  procession  of  him  for  whom  the  proverb  might 
have  been  coined,  "  whom  the  gods  love  die  young  " — Raphael,  the  type  of  the  beauty  of  Italian 
youth,  who  preserved  his  immortal  youth  till  his  dying  day. 

Even  reckoning  this  picture  and  the  "  Madonna  of  Foligno,"  painted  by  Raphael  for 
the  adorable  Convent  of  Countesses  in  that  city,  which  is  still  one  of  the  most  unspoiled 
bits  of  the  Middle  Ages,  the  Pina- 
coteca  yields  altogether  in  importance 
to  the  Sixtine  Chapel  and  Raphael's 
Stanze. 

Raphael's  Loggie,  nicknamed  "  Ra- 
phael's Bible,"  were  designed  by  him, 
but  his  hand  is  not  much  apparent 
in  their  execution.  One  derives  more 
pleasure  from  the  stucchi  of  Giovanni 
da  Udine,  who,  like  his  master  and 
fellow-pupils,  had  entered  the  enchanted 
cave  of  the  Golden  House  of  Nero 
when  its  Pompeian  frescoes  were  newly 
brought  to  light. 

When  you  are  taken  over  the 
Vatican  Library,  the  first  thing  that 
strikes  you  is  the  almost  total  absence 
of  books.  The  reason  is  that,  unless 
you  have  a  student's  order,  you  are 
not  admitted  to  the  part  of  the 
Library  which  contains  the  Printed 
Books.  You  are  merely  shown  a  series 
of  museums.  The  books  are  kept  in 
the  basement,  in  the  new  Leonine 
Library.  The  lovely  painted  chamber, 
frescoed  with  imitations  of  the  Pom- 
peian decorations  which  Raphael's 
pupils  used  so  much  after  the  dis- 
covery of  the  Baths  of  Titus,  contains         ,.       .,  ,,,  ,  m  ,-  n-*,,. r., 

•J  '  from  S/f/ro  a'j}f/r.fjhl  I  u]  [//.(.   i^  nite  to. 

nothing   but  the   most    famous    manu-  the   Vatican    library. 

scripts     and     the     presents    from     various  Founded    in    A.D.    1540    by   Pope     Nicholas    v..     this    library  is   now    a 

,         .     ,  ,  •  T-»  ,1  treasure-house  of  priceless  manuscripts  which  number  over   34.000.      It  con- 

potentates      to      various      Popes,      mostly  ,«;„»  besides  hundreds  of  thousands  of  primed  volumes. 


8io 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


very  large,  bright  blue  or  bright  green  porcelain,  with  the  portrait  of  the  Pope  or  the  potentate  in 
a  vignette.  The  principal  French  and  German  factories  vied  with  each  other  in  producing  these 
tours-de-force.  The  manuscripts,  however,  are  marvellously  interesting.  There  is  no  such  collec- 
tion of  classical  manuscripts  in  the  world,  and  some  of  the  mediseval  manuscripts  are  of  the  highest 
interest  or  beauty.  Here  is  the  pahmpsest  of  the  Republic  of  Cicero  ;  here  is  the  Dante  with  minia- 
tures by  Giulio  Clovio  ;  here  is  the  MS.  volume  of  Henry  VIII. 's  love-letters  to  Anne  Bullen.  Here 
is  a  printed  book  of  Henry  VIII. 's  Assertio  Septem  Sacramentorum  against  Martin  Luther.  He 
did  not  write  it  ;  he  merely  signed  it,  and  was  rewarded  by  the  title  Defender  of  the  Faith  which 
he  so  shortly  afterwards  crumpled  up  like  an  old  letter.  Here  is  the  forged  prayer  of  Martin  Luther. 
Here  is  the  famous  Urbino  Bible,  which  belonged  to  the  great  Duke  Frederick  of  Montefeltro,  and 
a  manuscript  of  Dante  in  the  beautiful  hand-writing  of  Boccacio,  who  signed  it  "  John  of  Certaldo." 
The  Christian  Museum  attached  to  the  Library  contains  human  hair  and  other  articles  taken  from 

the  Catacombs.  The  Profane  Museum  has  the 
famous  Nozze  Aldobrandini,  the  best  of  all 
antique  frescoes.  The  pleasure  of  a  visit  to  the 
Vatican  Library  is  spoilt,  because  you  are  hurried 
through  it  by  a  human  parrot  who  cares  more 
for  the  potentates'  vases  than  anything  else  in 
his  charge. 

The  Sixtine  Chapel  calls  up  varied  emotions 
in  the  pilgrim  of  Art.  Here  Michelangelo  exe- 
cuted nearly  all  the  painting  which  has  survived 
from  his  brush,  and  with  it  the  greatest  sculptor 
of  the  Christian  era  rivalled  the  greatest  work  of 
the  greatest  painter.  His  "  Last  Judgment," 
since  some  of  its  nude  figures  were  tailored  by 
Daniele  da  Volterra  to  please  a  prudish  and 
prurient  Pope,  needs  an  artist  to  appreciate  it. 
It  simply  confuses  the  eye  of  the  Phihstine,  but 
the  roof  is  above  all  criticism.  It  has  the  Bible 
re-written  in  paint  on  its  ample  spaces,  with 
figures  of  the  most  commanding  majesty  and 
faces  whose  expressiveness  awakes  the  de- 
spair of  other  artists.  His  prophets,  his 
sibyls,  and  some  of  his  scenes  from  the  Penta- 
teuch are  to  painting  what  the  frieze  of  the 
Parthenon  is  to  sculpture.  On  each  side  of  this  chapel  are  half  a  dozen  great  frescoes  by 
the  greatest  of  the  real  pre-Raphaelites — Perugino,  Pinturicchio,  Ghirlandaio,  Botticelli,  Cosimo 
Rosselli,  and  Luca  Signorelli,  some  of  them  among  the  highest  flights  of  these  masters.  For 
the  diapered  wall  below  Leo  X.  commissioned  Raphael  to  execute  his  immortal  tapestries. 

So  far  the  note  has  been  one  of  exultation,  but  the  prejudice  against  Michelangelo's 
"  Last  Judgment  "  will  not  be  decreased  by  the  fact  that  to  receive  it  the  windows  on  the  altar 
wall  and  the  beautiful  fifteenth-century  frescoes  which  surrounded  them  had  to  be  sacrificed. 

The  Chapel  of  Nicholas  V.,  called  the  Chapel  of  San  Lorenzo,  is  one  of  the  masterpieces 
of  Fra  Angelico,  who  was  never  more  human  or  more  advanced  for  his  period,  though  the 
frescoes  here  are  not  quite  so  suitable  for  reproduction  on  gilty  postcards  as  his  Paradiso. 

The  Paoline  Chapel  has  two  smoky  frescoes  by  Michelangelo  ;  the  Sala  Regia  was  decorated  by 
the  orders  of  an  indiscreet  Pope  of  that  day  with  the  triumphant  representation  of  the  treacherous 
Massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew,  which  is  put  on  a  level  with  the  Battle  of  Lepanto,  the  other  chief 


From  i^teveo  copyriij?it  byl  l/f.  ('.  iV/iife  Co. 

THE    SIXTINE    CHAPEL. 

Certainly  tliis  is  the  most  famous    chapel    in    Christendom, 

and  it  is  worthy  ol    its    fame.     The    great     Italian    artists    have 

adorned     walls     and     ceiling     with     frescoes     of      unparalleled 

magnificence. 


H 
I 

m 
o 


I 

m 


3  o"  >< 

I'    o 
•  S    > 


8l2 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


From  Stereo  copyright  by'\ 


ST.     PETERS,     ROME 


The  largest  and  most  imposing  cathedral  in  the  world.  St.  Peter's  dominates  the 
great  Piazza  which  bears  its  name,  and  humbles  the  mighty  obelisk  which  was 
brought  from  Heliopolis  to  Rome  by  Caligula. 


motive  of  the  decorations  of 
tfiis  hall,  but  rather  belittles 
that  victory.  The  Sala  Ducale 
is  blankly  baroque,  especially 
in  its  central  arch. 

St.  Peter's,  i?ome.— The 
chief  object  on  the  Piazza  of  St. 
Peter's  is,  of  course,  St.  Peter's 
itself,  which,  if  it  had  been 
left  as  it  was  designed,  with- 
out the  hideous  and  inappro- 
priate upper  story  over  the 
porch,  would  have  been  the 
most  beautiful  building  of  its 
kind.  As  it  is,  the  dome  is 
half  concealed  and  the  beauty 
of  the  porch  is  lost.  The 
last  window  but  one  in  the 
upper  story  belongs  to  the 
Leonine  Chapel,  where  canoni- 
zations take  place.  From  it 
the  Pope  used  to  address 
the  people  on  his  election. 
The  back  of  St.  Peter's  is 
very  fine  and  imposing.  It 
suggests  what  the  exteriors  of 
the  gigantic  Baths  of  the  Em- 
perors— of  Caracalla  or  Dio- 
cletian— with  which  it  was 
designed  to  compete,  were  like. 
But  one  can  never  forgive 
the  Popes  for  pulling  down 
Old  St.  Peter's  to  make  room 
for  it.  Old  St.  Peter's,  if 
would   have   been    the    rival    of   St.    Mark's ;     it   was    full    of 

St.    Peter's    can    never    possess. 


[//.  C.  White  Co. 


it   had    been   allowed   to   remain 

wonderful    mosaics    and    had    a    sanctity    which    the    present 

It  was  almost  the  cradle  of  Christianity;   it  held  the  tombs  of  nearly  a  hundred  Popes;    Kings 

and   Emperors   innumerable  had    transacted    history    within  its  walls  ;     it    was  the   sanctuary   of 

undivided  Christendom,   whereas  the  present  building  was  not  erected  till  the  more  important  half 

of  the  West  had  left  the  Roman  Church. 

The  view  from  the  dome  of  St.  Peter's  shows  the  full  beauty  of  the  colonnades  with  which 
Bernini  surrounded  the  Piazza,  and  which  form  a  splendid  completion  of  the  vast  scheme.  In  the 
centre  is  the  obelisk,  whose  removal  to  its  present  position  gave  Bordighera  the  right  of 
providing  the  palms  for  Palm  Sunday.  The  ropes  used  in  its  erection  were  stra  ned  to  breaking, 
when  a  sailor  of  Bordighera,  disregarding  the  Pope's  orders  that  anyone  who  spoke  during  the 
critical  moment  should  be  executed,  told  them  to  throw  water  on  the  ropes.  Right  and  left  are  the 
famous  fountains.  The  principal  object  in  the  background,  standing  out  in  dark  rehef  against  the 
huge  white  mass  of  the  Law  Courts  and  the  bridge  over  the  Tiber,  is  the  Castle  of  Sant'  Angelo. 
This  is   one    of   the  most    celebrated    buildings    of   Ancient  Rome.      Erected    as    the    Tomb    of 


Europe 


813 


Hadrian,  the  Kaiser  Wilhelm  II.  of  the  Ancient  World,  it  also  once  held  the  bones  of  Marcus 
Aurelius,  the  famous  philosopher,  whose  "  Meditations  "  are  in  every  shilling  library.  It  is  a  huge 
circular  mass  of  white  stone,  surrounded  and  topped  by  mediaeval  fortifications,  and  it  contained  an 
elevator  as  far  back  as  the  days  of  Leo  X.,  whose  stoutness  inconvenienced  him  four  centuries  ago. 
All  sorts  of  people,  from  Beatrice  Cenci  (who  was  executed  opposite)  to  Benvenuto  Cellini  and  the 
astrologer  Cagliostro,  have  been  imprisoned  in  it,  and  the  wicked  Alexander  VI.  found  in  its 
security  a  convenient  residence.  In  honour  of  the  Exhibition  of  1911,  it  was  stripped  of  all  its 
excrescences  and  had  a  Conference  Temple  erected  in  its  grounds.  It  contains  some  of  the  most 
charming  frescoes  of  Rome,  executed  by  the  pupils  of  Raphael.  The  Bronze  Angel  on  the  top 
commemorates  the  apparition  of  an  angel,  who  descended  to  stop  the  plague  which  was  then  de- 
vastating the  city,  at  the  intercession  of  Pope  Gregory  the  Great. 

The  Dome  of  St.  Peter's  is  the  loftiest  in  the  world,  and  the  time  at  which  the  Pope  thinks 
that  visitors  would  like  to  commence  ascending  it  is  8  a.m.  The  ascent  is  closed  at  11  a.m., 
and  can  now,  as  far  as  the  roof,  be  accomplished  in  an  elevator.  The  scramble  up  the  dome 
itself  between  its  two  skins  is  very  like  the  scramble  up  the  Great  Pyramid,  and  you  can  go 
right  up  into  the  copper  ball  which  sways  about  under  the  cross  at  the  top.  There  are  perma- 
nent arrangements  for  illuminating  its  exterior  with  Earlscourt  lamps.  The  view  from  it  is  not 
much  finer  than  it  is  from  the  roof,  but  it  is  a  most  diverting  place  to  ascend.  It  is  generally 
supposed  by  those  who  have  not  been  there  that  there  is  a  population  of  two  thousand  persons 
living  on  the  roof  of  St.  Peter's,  called  the  Sampetrini,  and  occupied  with  the  duties  of  steeplejacks 
and  sling-cleaners  of  the  ceiling.     This  is  a  fiction.     There  is  not  a  single  house  on  the  roof,  and  the 


THE    PIAZZA    OF    ST.    PETERS. 
It  IS  difHcult    to    realize    the    vast    size  of    this    Piazza,  but    comparison    with  the    size  of  the  carriages  standing  in  the  shadow 
of  the    obelisk    will    give    ?ome    idea.     The    colonnades    which    skirt    the    two    sides    are    composed  of    double  rows  of  pillars  to  the 
number  of  284. 


8i4 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Cardinal  Secretary  of  State  informed  me 
that  no  one  is  allowed  to  stay  up  there  at 
night.  The  roof  is  large  enough  for  a 
decent  cricket  pitch,  and  the  beautiful  view 
from  it  is  shown  in  another  illustration. 

The  interior  of  St.  Peter's  is  a  mixture 
of  majesty  and  vulgar  pomp.  Its  concep- 
tion is  magnificent  ;  it  has  the  spaciousness, 
the  grand  arches,  the  noble  piers  of  the 
great  Baths  and  Law -Courts  of  the  Em- 
perors. Michelangelo's  boast  that  to  make 
St.  Peter's  he  would  put  the  dome  of  the 
Pantheon  on  the  top  of  the  great  arches  of 
the  Basilica  of  Constantine  in  the  Forum 
has  been  mentioned.  The  Dome  is  a  far 
greater  triumph  of  engineering  skill  than 
the  Pantheon's ;  the  great  arches  which 
support  it,  the  richly-coffered  barrelled 
vaulting  of  nave  and  choir,  completed  by 
Bramante,  are  extremely  fine  The  loggia 
added  by  Bernini,  and  the  monstrous  taber- 
nacle, for  which  the  bronze  of  the  Pantheon 
was  sacrificed  by  Bernini,  who  imagined 
that  he  was  reproducing  the  glories  of 
Solomon's  Temple  at  Jerusalem,  are  alder- 
manic  pieces  of  baroque.  The  bronze  round 
the  Chair  of  St.  Peter  at  the  end  of  the 
apse  is  hardly  equalled  for  banal  bumptious- 
ness in  the  maddest  baroque  of  Sicily. 
But  for  the  most  part  the  interior  is  so  colossal  that  it  is  empty,  and  so  empty  that  it  has 
the  magnificence  of  space.  The  statue  of  St.  Peter  is  ascribed  to  the  sixth  century  a.d.,  and 
has  other  merits  than  those  of  sanctity.  The  kneeling  figure  of  Pius  VL  in  the  Confessio  in  front 
of  the  blocked-up  entry  of  St.  Peter's  Tomb  alludes  to  the  most  pathetic  incident  in  the  history 
of  the  Popes.  Napoleon  deported  him  to  France,  where  he  died,  as  a  sort  of  prisoner  and  a  plain 
citizen,  in  the  little  city  of  Valence,  where  his  death  is  registered  in  municipal  archives  as  of 
"  one  Jean  Braschi,  who  followed  the  profession  of  Pontiff."  The  English  people  are  most 
interested  in  Canova's  monument  to  the  last  three  Stuart  princes — James  IIL,  the  Old 
Pretender,  Charles  Edward,  the  Young  Pretender,  and  Henry,  Cardinal  of  York — erected  to 
their  memopy  by  George  IV.,  who  had  given  Henry  a  pension  in  his  life,  and  at  his  death 
received  a  bequest  of  what  remained  of  the  Crown  jewels  carried  away  by  James  II.  in  his 
flight  at  the  Revolution.     The  mosaic  pictures  are  much  admired  by  the  Philistine. 

The  Crypt  of  St.  Peter's,  both  in  its  contents  and  in  the  sentiment  which  it  inspires,  is 
one  of  the  most  striking  things  in  Rome.  It  is  all  that  remains  of  the  basilica  granted  by 
Constantine  the  Great  to  the  Pope,  and  it  preserves  the  actual  pavement  trodden  by  so  many 
pontiffs  and  monarchs.  It  owes  its  preservation  to  the  fact  that  the  architect  thought  it 
would  make  the  best  foundation  for  the  new  church.  He  vaulted  it  over  with  low  vaults  of 
tremendous  strength,  and  underneath  them  various  objects  of  the  highest  interest  have  been 
preserved  or  collected.  Here  are  the  plaster  sarcophagi,  rather  like  whales,  in  which  the  Stuart 
Princes  were  actually  interred,  as  wreaths  of  white  roses  from  the  pale  twentieth  century  Jacobite 


F/ioto  dy]  [A'.  G.  Wood. 

THE     DOME    OF    ST.     PETER'S,     ROME. 
The  cl'.ief  glory  of  St.   Peter's  is  the    beautiful    Dome,   which  \vas 
designed    by     Michelangelo.     It    has    a    diameter    of    138    feet,    which 
makes  it  slightly  smaller  than   that  of  the  Pantheon. 


Pholu  hji] 


yVood. 


THE    INTERIOR    OF    ST.    PETERS.    ROME. 
So    splendidly    proportioned    is    this    building    that    it    is    difficult    to    appreciate    its    huge    dimensions:   but    some    idea    may    be 
gained    by    a    comparifon    of    the    lotty  aisle    of    the    cathedral     with    the    life-size    figure    of    St.    Peter    on    the    right-hand    side    of 
the  picture. 


8i6 


The   Wonders   of  the   World 


testify.  Here  a  rugged  stone  marks  the  tomb  of  Mathilda,  the  Countess  of  Tuscany,  whose  Donation 
established  the  Papacy  and  whose  power  brought  Henry  IV.  to  his  knees  before  the  Pope  at  Canossa. 
Here  are  all  which  have  been  preserved  of  the  eighty-seven  tombs  of  the  Popes  desecrated  by 
Bramante  that  the  New  St.  Peter's  might  rise  from  their  ashes.  Boniface  VHI.  is  there,  the  Grand 
Old  Man  of  Anagni,  whom  the  Colonna  put  through  a  mock  crucifixion.  The  thirteenth  century 
has  left  us  no  finer  recumbent  effigy  than  his.  Close  beside  it  is  the  ancient  sarcophagus  that 
received  the  bones  of  Nicholas  Breakspear,  the  only  English  Pope  ;  and  the  effigy  is  preserved,  at 
the  top  of  an  inordinate  inscription,  of  Paul  K.,  the  beautiful  Venetian  Pope,  who  wished  to  take 
the  title  of  Formosus.  He  had  a  gigantic  monument  decorated  with  exquisite  panels  by  Mino  da 
Fiesole,  and  most  of  it  is  preserved,  built  into  the  walls  of  the  Crypt.  The  sculpture  by  Matteo 
Pollaiuolo,  depicting  the  martyrdom  of  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul,  which  ran  round  the  High  Altar  of 

Old  St.  Peter's,  is  here  preserved 
entire  ;  but  everything  pales  in  in- 
terest before  the  Tomb  of  St.  Peter. 
Of  the  tomb  itself  you  can  see 
nothing.  It  lies  hermetically  sealed 
beneath  an  altar,  approached  by 
two  not  very  ancient  or  impressive 
ante-chapels.  But  underneath  the 
altar  there  still  lies,  heavily  bricked 
up,  the  tomb  of  the  Apostle,  with 
the  great  gold  cross,  a  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds  in  weight,  deposited  by 
the  Empress  Helena  upon  it.  When 
they  were  laying  the  foundations  of 
the  present  church,  a  hole  knocked 
through  the  masonry  revealed  the 
tomb  and  the  cross.  The  Pope, 
Clement  VIII.,  was  sent  for 
hurriedly,  and  as  there  was  a 
curse  decreeing  the  instant  death  of 
anyone  who  disturbed  the  tomb,  he 
decided  that  the  best  thing  to  do 
was  to  brick  up  the  orifice,  so  that 
none  of  his  subjects  might  tempt 
Providence. 

Right  opposite  the  door  of  St. 
Peter's  tomb  is  the  most  exquisite 
Christian  sarcophagus  in  Rome,  the 
only  ancient  tomb  in  St.  Peter's 
which  still  contains  the  bones  laid 
to   rest    in   it.     It  is    the  tomb  of 


Photo  hy  pennusion  o/}  [Douglas  Sladen. 

THE    GROTTE    NUOVE,    ST.    PETER'S.    ROME. 


There  are  few  places  of  greater    interest   than  this  crypt,   for  here  are    gathered  JuuiuS      BaSSUS,      Prefect      of     Rome, 

together    many    valuable    relics    both    of    artistic    value    and    historical  significance,  who  bcCame  a  Christian  iu  his  yCar  of 
ijn    the     right     is    the    conJessio    or   Matteo  rollaiuolo,  and  the  hght    shining  trotn  ^ 

St.  Peter's  Tomb  upon  tKe  sarcophagus  of  Junius  Bassus.  office,  a  millennium  and  a  half  ago. 


Europe 


817 


CHAPTER     XXV 

Mount  Etna, — Etna,  which  the  Sicihans  always  call  Mongibello  in  ordinary  conversation, 
is  the  principal  volcano  of  Europe.  It  is  ten  thousand  seven  hundred  and  forty-two  feet  high  and 
more  than  a  hundred  miles  round. 
You  can  see  it  from  the  high  ground 
above  Palermo,  on  the  other  side  of 
the  island.  It  is  a  far  more  beautiful 
mountain  than  Vesuvius  now,  whether 
you  look  at  the  gradual  slope  on 
the  Taormina  side  or  the  steep  slope 
down  to  the  sea  from  the  Syracuse 
side,  from  which  point  it  looks  very 
like  Fujiyama,  the  great  volcano  of 
Japan. 

The  most  celebrated  view  of  it  is 
across  the  stage  of  the  theatre  of  Taor- 
mina. The  Sicihans  do  not  regard  it 
as  an  enemy,  but  as  the  mother  of 
fertility,  though  it  has  on  more  than 
one  occasion  wiped  out  Catania.  The 
first  great  eruption  recorded  was  in 
B.C.  396,  and  the  worst  was  in  a.d. 
1669,  in  which  fifteen  thousand  in- 
habitants of  Catania  were  killed. 

The  most  characteristic  features 
of  Etna  are  the  tremendous  lava- 
streams  crossed  by  the  railway  and 
the  provincial  road  ;  an  immense  time 
elapses  before  anything  will  grow  on 
these  black  sierras  and  abysses. 

But  when  Ferdinand  IV.  wished 
to  give  Nelson  an  estate  of  excep- 
tional richness,  he  gave  him  the  Bronte  estate  on  the  flanks  of  Etna,  the  only  place  in  Europe 
where  there  is  a  forest  of  orange-trees.  Etna  is  extraordinarily  rich  in  wild  flowers,  especially  in 
irises  of  many  colours. 

The  ascent  of  Mount  Etna  can  be  made  at  any  time,  but  the  snow  makes  it  fatiguing  in  winter. 
The  most  popular  time  for  ascending  it  is  on  moonlight  nights  in  July.  The  ascent  is  made  from 
Nicolosi  or  Randazzo.  Nicolosi  is  the  nearest,  but  Randazzo  is  a  beautiful  mediaeval  town.  Etna 
has  been  in  eruption  quite  recently,  and  in  1892  opened  a  new  branch  crater.  The  worst  eruptions 
of  Etna  were  those  of  b.c.  396,  126  and  122,  and  a.d.  1169,  1329,  1537  and  1669.  In  1444  the  cone 
fell  into  the  crater.  From  1603  to  1680  it  was  almost  continually  in  eruption.  In  1843  it  almost 
overwhelmed  the  city  of  Bronte.  But  the  greatest  eruption  of  the  nineteenth  century  was  in  1852, 
though  in  1865  the  eruption  lasted  for  more  than  six  months.  In  two  days  the  lava -stream,  red- 
hot,  ran  fourteen  kilometres  (about  eight  miles).  There  is  an  Observatory  on  Etna  about  nine 
thousand  feet  above  the  sea.     The  valleys  on  Etna  are  so  deep  that  cities  like  Randazzo,  quite 

S3 


Photo  supplied  by']  [Undfrwood  d'  Underwood. 

MOUNT    ETNA. 

"The  Sicilians  do  not  regard  it  as  an  enemy,  but  as  the  mother  of 
fertility,  although  it  has  on  more  than  one  occasion  wiped  out 
Catania." 


8i8 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


high  up,  are  cut  off  from  the  danger  area ;  the  inhabitants  can  see  the  lava-stream  running  down  the 
valley  like  a  drain,  in  perfect  security. 

The  old  towns  of  Etna,  Randazzo,  Aderno,  Paterno,  and  one  or  two  others,  are  on  the 
Circumsetnaean  Railway,  which  runs  round  the  mountain  from  Catania  to  Giarre-Riposto.  Etna 
has  three  zones  — the  cultivated,  or  Piedimontana,  up  to  four  thousand  feet,  one  of  the  most  fertile 
districts  in  the  world,  with  a  very  even  climate,  which  was  the  Campus  ^tnaeus  of  the  ancients. 
The  second,  or  Boschiva,  is  from  four  to  six  thousand  feet — this  is  the  forest  district.  The  third,  the 
Deserta  or  Scoperta,  which  in  places  has  eternal  snow,  has  hardlj'  any  animal  life  and  very  few 
plants  except  lichens  and  holy  thorns. 

The  pictures  show  the  Observatory,  the  mouth  of  the  principal  crater,  and  the  celebrated 
Valle  del  Bove,  which  is  one  of  the  most  unquiet  parts  of  the  mountain. 

Virgil  was  evidently  familiar  with  the  phenomena  of  the  eruptions  of  Etna  to  which  he  gives 


i'ltoto  supplied  by'\ 


.MOU.M      EINA. 
Showing  the  great  tnouth  of  the  principal  crater. 


\_l'ii'U'niooil  ,(•  Uti'leriioad. 


prominence  in  the  ^neid.  Maniace,  the  castle  of  the  Nelson  family,  is  a  long  way  from  Bronte, 
which  gives  the  Duchy  its  name.  It  stands  near  the  spot  where  George  Maniaces  and  Harald 
Hardrada  won  their  famous  victory  over  the  Saracens.  This  part  of  Sicily  is  one  of  the  worst  for 
brigandage  ;  the  only  unsafe  district  in  the  whole  eastern  part  of  the  island. 

Noire  Dame  de  Paris. — The  Cathedral  of  Notre  Dame  de  Paris  is  the  architectural  chef-d'witvre 
of  the  gay  city.  It  is  a  magnificent  example  of  early  Gothic  work.  The  He  du  Cite,  on  which  it 
stands,  is  the  oldest  part  of  Paris,  whose  history  began  here  in  the  days  of  Roman  ascendancy. 

Lutetia  Parisiorum  continued  to  flourish  after  the  downfall  of  Rome  and  spread  first  to  one 
bank  and  then  to  the  other  of  the  river.  But  since  the  swift  current  of  the  river  that  enclosed  the 
He  was  the  finest  of  defences  during  all  the  centuries  that  preceded  the  invention  of  gunpowder  and 
modern  weapons  of  war,  the  chief  buildings  of  Paris,  the  Royal  Palace,  the  Cathedral,  and  the 
Cloitre  de  Notre  Dame,  or  house  of  the  Canons  who  dominated  the  university,  were  all  situated 
within  its  narrow  limits. 


I-   0 


3    2 
0    = 


C 

r 

H 


=   O 


w         ■ 

3   S 


#'- 


820 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


Photn  hy'}  IThe  Photochrom  Co.  Ltd. 

NOTRE    DAME    DE    PARIS. 

This  Cathedral    is    a    magnificent    example    of    Gothic    architecture.      It   is  ?itualed  on   the   He  du   Cite,  which    was    the 

centre  of  ancient   Paris. 

The  original  church  on  this  site  dated  from  the  fourth  century  ;  the  foundation  stone  of  the 
present  Cathedral  was  laid  in  1163,  by  Pope  Alexander  III.,  then  a  refugee  in  France.  It  consists 
of  a  nave  with  double  aisles  four  hundred  feet  in  length,  and  the  aisles  are  continued  round  the 
choir,  a  very  early  example  of  this  style  of  building,  made  so  familiar  in  the  Gothic  churches  of  a 
later  date. 

The  vault  above  the  nave  is  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  high,  and  the  width  of  nave  and  aisles 
together  is  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  feet.  A  feature  peculiar  to  Notre  Dame  de  Paris  is  found  in 
the  rounded  pillars  supporting  the  roof  of  the  nave. 

The  dignity  and  beauty  of  the  effect  made  by  the  Cathedral  as  a  whole  has  suffered  the  injury 
common  to  almost  all  the  great  churches  around  which  a  modern  city  has  grown  up.  They  were 
designed  by  the  original  builders  to  occupy  an  isolated  position,  to  rise  in  massive  dignity  above 
surrounding  meadows  and  gardens  or  to  dominate  in  austere  pride  the  low,  small  houses  inhabited 
by  man.  But  the  increasing  numbers  and  wealth  of  the  citizens  of  Paris,  as  in  the  case  of  other 
cities,  has  resulted  in  crowding  the  He  du  Cite  with  tall  houses  and  high  buildings,  from  which  the 
great  towers  and  pinnacles  of  the  Cathedral  seem  to  strive  in  vain  to  extricate  themselves.  And 
to  add  to  the  shghtly  heavy  effect  of  the  whole,  the  high  spires  which  were  originally  planned  to 
rise  from  each  of  the  towers  have  never  been  built. 

The  completion  of  the  nave  and  the  facade  the  finest  portion  of  the  Cathedral,  was  the  work 
of  the  thirteenth  century.  This  fafade  is  the  earliest  example  of  this  particular  style  of  ornament 
and  a  number  of  later  French  churches  are  modelled  upon  it.  Many  of  the  figures  with  which  it 
was  adorned  were  destroyed  during  the  Revolution  ;  but  some  remain,  and  there  is  a  wonderful  piece 


Europe 


821 


of  thirteenth-century  sculpture  in  the  pediment ;  the  angel  holding  the  nails  in  this  group 
fortunately  escaped  injury.  The  gargoyles  on  the  roof  and  balustrade  are  remarkable  pieces  of 
work.  The  towers  are  fifty-two  feet  in  height  ;  in  the  south  tower  hangs  one  of  the  largest  bells 
in  existence,  known  as  the  Bourdon  de  Notre  Dame.     It  weighs  twelve  and  a  half  tons. 

The  exterior  of  the  choir  is  made  notable  by  its  flying  buttresses,  which  successfully  achieve 
an  effect  of  grace  and  lightness.  They  have  been  poetically  likened  to  "  kneeling  angels  with  half- 
spread  wings." 

The  Gothic  fountain  is  modern  work,  designed  of  Vigoureux  in  1845.  Within  the  Cathedral, 
at  the  entrance  to  the  choir,  stands  "  Notre  Dame  de  Paris,"  a  mediaeval  figure  of  the  Virgin,  the 
work  of  the  early  fifteenth  century,  which  has  always  been  held  in  deep  veneration  by  the  devout. 

Some  famous  relics  are  housed  here ;  they  include  the  Crown  of  Thorns,  a  nail  from  the  Cross, 
and  a  fragment  of  the  True  Cross,  which  were  brought  from  Palestine  by  St.  Louis  after  the 
Crusades  in  1239. 

The  Sainte  Chapelle,  now  enclosed  within  the  precincts  of  the  Palais  de  Justice,  was  built  for 
the  reception  of  these  holy  relics. 

On  the  choir  screen  are  twenty-three  scenes  from  the  Life  of  Christ,  reliefs  in  stone,  which  are 
the  work  of  two  men — uncle  and  nephew — between  the  years  1319-51.  They  are  remarkable  for 
beauty  and  dignity  of  treatment  and  are  very  fine  examples  of  Gothic  sculpture. 

Moni  BUnc. — Mont  Blanc  is  the  colossus  among  the  mountains  of  Europe.  The  supremacy 
of  its  fifteen  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty  feet  of  granite  over  all  rivals  is  unchallenged. 
And,  unlike  the  giants  of  the  Himalayas  and  the  Andes,  whose  tracks  are  known  to  but  a  handful 


P/i       ■  I.]  iE.  a.  Wood. 

NOTRE    DAME    DE    PARIS. 

The  Cathedral  is  as  fa.-nous  for  its  flying  buttresses,  standing  round  the  lapse  of  the    building,  as  for  the  gargoyles,   which 

are  formed  of  hideous  and  grotesque  creatures. 


822 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


of  the  intrepid,  and  to  most  of  us  are  but  names,  the  monster  of  the  Swiss  Alps  is  like  a  familiar 
friend.  It  is  scarcely  possible  for  us  to  realize,  who  have  seen  its  white  crest  from  so  many  points 
of  view,  who  have  trodden  its  rocky  paths  and  stepped  gingerly  upon  its  glacier  streams,  even  if  we 
have  not  seriously  attempted  to  scale  its  higher  peaks,  that  it  is  not  so  many  years  ago  that  its 
ascent  was  as  great  an  adventure  as  that  of  Mount  Everest  to-day.  As  far  as  its  recorded  history 
goes,  the  very  first  climber  to  reach  its  topmost  peak  was  the  guide,  Jacques  Balmat,  in  1786. 
Later  in  the  same  year  he  piloted  Dr.  Paccard  to  the  summit,  and  in  the  following  year  the  mountain 
was  scaled  by  de  Saussure,  the  celebrated  naturalist.  The  route  taken  by  these  and  succeeding 
climbers  for  some  years  was  not  the  same  as  that  now  followed  almost  daily  all  through  the  summer 
season.  Besides  the  main  peak,  there  are  many  lesser  pinnacles  still  harder  to  climb,  which  have 
gradually  yielded  to  assault  as  the  years  went  on,  and  experienced  climbers  have  attacked  their 
frowning  precipices.      Such  are  the  Aiguille  Verte,  du  Dru  and  de    Blaitiere,  the  Aiguilles    des 


rhoto  !)j/] 


THE    MER     DE    GLACE. 


[./.  ir.  MiLellan. 


This  glacier  is  amongst   the  best  known  of  the  Alps.     It   winds  its  way  through  the   Pass  of  the  Col  dj  Geant,  and  its 
great  ice-mass  goes  to  form  the  source  of  the  River  Arve. 

Charmoz  and  the  Jardin.  The  Aiguilles  Rouges  are  a  wild  rampart  of  pinnacles,  buttresses,  and 
peaks  ;  many  of  the  lower  points  are  visited  by  crowds  of  tourists  in  summer.  From  the  Col  de 
Brevent,  at  the  south-west  end  of  the  Aiguilles,  an  unsurpassed  view  of  the  peak  of  Mont  Blanc 
is  obtained,  thrusting  its  proud  head  into  the  clouds,  the  black  rock-splinters  tearing  jagged  rents  in 
the  beautiful  mantle  of  snow  hung  upon  its  shoulders.  From  the  Flegere,  a  very  fine  view  of  the 
Mer  de  Glace  is  obtained,  with  the  Aiguille  Verte  towering  above.  But  the  near  pinnacles  of  the 
Aiguilles  Rouges  dwarf  the  summit  of  the  greater  peak  of  Mont  Blanc  as  seen  from  this  point. 

The  ice-streams  that  wend  their  slow  and  tortuous  way  down  the  deeply-scored  sides  of  the 
mountain  are  peculiarly  interesting.  Of  these,  the  Glacier  des  Bossons  and  the  Glacier  des  Bois, 
better  known  as  the  Mer  de  Glace,  are  the  largest  and  most  accessible.  The  Col  du  Geant  is  a 
magnificent  pass  leading  through  the  heart  of  this  Mont  Blanc  chain  and  down  this  winds  the  great 
river  of  ice,  its  fissures  glowing  like  sapphires,  its  polished  crest  shining  like  a  silver  shield  in  the 
sun.  From  beneath  its  ice-caverns  the  river  Arve  forces  its  way  out  and  flows  down  the  Vale  of 
Chamonix.     It  is  from  this  little  town  on  the  northern  slope  of  the  range  that  the  ascent  of  the  high 


824 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


From  Stereo  copyright  hy] 

MONT    BLANC. 
A  dangerous  crevasse. 


[//.  C.  White  Co. 


peaks  is  accomplished.  In  this  valley  a  Benedic- 
tine priory  was  established  in  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury, but  it  was  little  known  until  the  eighteenth 
century,  when  the  English  travellers  Windham 
and  Pococke  and  the  Swiss  naturalist  de  Saussure 
discovered  and  advertised  its  natural  beauties. 

Myceme. — The  ruins  of  Mycenje,  in  Argolis, 
possess  an  unique  interest  for  all  who  delight 
in  the  romantic  stories  of  the  past.  Here  we 
find  evidences  of  a  prehistoric  civilization  whose 
wealth,  power  and  magnificence  rivalled,  and 
even  exceeded,  that  of  the  great  Eastern  Dynas- 
ties. And  the  story  of  this  wonderful  world- 
power  lay  hidden  and  unsuspected  under  the 
dust  of  ages,  or  appeared  but  in  scattered  trea- 
sures discovered  here  and  there,  whose  signifi- 
cance was  not  appreciated  until  the  excavations 
of  Professor  Schliemann,  from  1874-6,  laid 
bare  the  secrets  of  the  Mycenaean  city.  The 
story  of  his  search  for  the  city  and  burial- 
place  of  Agamemnon,  and  the  marvellous  dis- 
coveries that  resulted  from  it,  reads  hke  a  romance.  The  fact  that  Dr.  Schliemann  has  revealed 
to  us  the  actual  civilization  described  in  the  stanzas  of  the  Iliad,  and  enabled  us  to  reconstruct  in 
detail  the  daily  hfe  of  the  heroes,  puts  us  deeply  in  his  debt.  To  add  to  this,  he  has  filled  in  for  us 
a  hitherto  blank  page  in  the  history  of  mankind.  The  historian,  Pausanias,  was  responsible  for 
repeating  the  legend  that  the  tomb  of  Agamemnon  was  to  be  found  at  Mycenje,  which  was  also  the 

scene  of  his  murder  by  the  treacherous  Clytem- 
nestra  and  her  lover  /Egisthus.  And  whether  or 
no  Agamemnon  was  a  living  king  or  a  hero  of 
romance,  whether  or  no  the  splendid  tombs  on  the 
Acropolis  at  Mycenae  were  built  for  the  dynasty  of 
the  Atridas  or  another,  of  which  we  know  still 
less,  their  immense  significance  remains  the  same. 
An  ancient  civilization  that  reached  a  high  state 
of  perfection  and  artistic  expression  has  been 
located,  whose  headquarters  were  at  Mycenae,  in 
the  Argolian  plain,  whose  principal  seaport  was  at 
Tiryns,  nine  miles  distant,  whose  sister  cities  were 
at  Hissarlik  (the  Troy  of  Dr.  Schliemann),  and  at 
Knossus  in  Crete,  and  whose  boundaries  reached 
very  much  the  same  limits  as  those  of  the  great 
Greek  civilization  which  followed  it.  It  is  a  notable 
fact  that  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Aegean,  with  its 
broken  admixture  of  sea  and  land,  should  always 
have  been  the  cradle  of  races  very  highly  de- 
veloped, with  artistic  perceptions  above  the  average 
of  their  day. 

Mycenae    consisted  of  a  walled    citadel    within 
a    walled    city.      These    walls    are    of    Cyclopean 


[//.  C.  White  Co. 


From  Stereo  copyright  hy'\ 

MONT    BLANC. 

The    snow-capped    pinnacles    towering   above    the    morning 

clouds 


Europe 


825 


masonry,  great  hewn  blocks,  square,  polygonal  and  triangular,  perfectly  fitted  one  into  another 
to  form  a  massive  wall  of  defence  varying  from  thirteen  to  thirty  feet  in  height.  But  for  a  small 
postern,  or  sallyport,  in  the  north  wall,  there  is  only  one  gateway  in  this  impregnable  wall,  known 
as  the  Lion  Gate.  The  triangular  slab  that  crowns  its  immense  lintel  is  sculptured  with  an  heraldic 
device  of  two  lionesses  rampant,  now  headless,  supporting  a  pillar  or  fire-altar.  It  was  this  design 
which  first  led  investigators  to  connect  the  civilization  of  Mycena  with  the  ancient  Phrygian.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  widespread  of  Aryan  designs  ;  the  tree,  or  pillar,  between  two  beasts,  or,  in  later 
days,  two  human  figures,  persists 
through  all  the  ages,  and  is  even 
found  to  this  day  in  Oriental 
carpets  and  textiles,  though  its 
early  meaning  has  been  forgotten. 
Mycenae  gave  up  its  secrets,  like 
many  another  buried  treasure- 
house,  from  out  its  tombs.  Be- 
fore Dr.  Schliemann  began  his 
excavations,  several  beehive 
tombs  had  been  unearthed  in  the 
lower  city,  showing  the  method  of 
burial  used  there  to  have  been 
distinctive  and  peculiar.  But  he 
searched  upon  the  Acropolis  itself 
for  the  graves  of  Agamemnon  and 
his  house.  In  1876  he  discovered 
tombs,  five  in  number,  to  which 
a  sixth  was  afterwards  added, 
within  the  agora,  or  place  of  assem- 
bly where,  according  to  Homer, 
the  old  men  of  the  city  were  used 
to  meet  and  sit  upon  a  semicircle 
of  polished  stones.  There  at 
Mycense  is  the  circle  of  stones, 
a  double  ring  of  upright  slabs 
about  eighty-five  feet  in  diameter, 
on  which  other  slabs  were  laid  to 
form  a  seat.  The  tombs  are  hewn 
out  of  the  rock,  and  within  them 
both  male  and  female  skeletons 
were  discovered.  They  were 
decked  for  burial  with  unequalled 
magnificence,  and  a  profusion  of  golden  jewellery.  Gold  face-masks,  diadems  and  ornaments  were 
found  upon  them,  and  even  thin  plates  of  gold  were  laid  over  the  grave-clothes  of  the  corpse  :  while 
gold  and  silver  cups  and  vessels  were  provided  for  the  use  of  the  departed  at  his  banquets  in  another 
world.  These  were  the  tombs  of  monarchs  who  ruled  a  people  far  advanced  in  the  arts  of 
civilization.  The  artists  of  Mycenae  had  not  only  earthenware  to  paint  upon,  they  carved  and 
engraved  ivory,  bone,  hard  and  soft  stone,  and  wood  ;  and  they  worked  in  metals,  gold,  silver, 
lead,  copper  and  bronze.  As  in  King  Solomon's  day,  silver  was  far  less  used  than  gold.  For  their 
figurines  bronze  was  the  material  usually  employed ;  the  two  prevailing  types  are  a  female  figure 
with  a  flounced  and  divided  skirt  and  hair  done  in  tails  like  the  Assyrians  :  while  the  male  figures 


From  Stereo  copyright  l>y'\  ll/ndertcood  tt  Underwood. 

THE    LION    GATE,    MYCENAE. 

These  noble  lions,  guarding  ihe  gate  to  the  prehistoric  Acropolis,  form  the  most 
ancient  piece  of  sculpture  extant.  The  civilization  which  produced  this  noble  work 
must  have  existed  during  the   17th  and   16th  centuries  before  Christ. 


826 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


are  nude  except  for  a  loin-cloth.  The  facial  types  shown  in  paintings  and  sculpture  are  distinctly 
non-Asiatic  in  type,  and  more  resemble  the  modern  Cretan  hillmen  or  Albanians  ;  and  the  few  skulls 
discovered  agree  with  this. 

The  height  of  this  great  civilization  is  thought  to  have  coincided  with  the  eighteenth  Pharaonic 
Dynasty  in  Egypt,  which  is  usually  set  between  the  seventeenth  and  sixteenth  centuries  B.C.  The 
great  variety  and  changes  discernible  in  the  course  of  Mycenaean  art  show  that  it  flourished  for  a 
considerable  period  of  time,  probably  at  least  from  the  eighteenth  to  the  fifth  centuries  B.C. 

The  marvellous  preservation  of  these  tombs  and  buildings,  for  the  design  of  the  palace  and  the 
living  houses  can  be  distinctly  traced,  is  due  to  the  sudden  and  complete  abandonment  of  the  city. 
The  men  of  Argos,  long  the  bitter  rivals  of  the  Mycenaeans,  attacked  them  in  487  B.C.,  and  though 

the  massive  walls  resisted  all  assaults,  star- 
vation compelled  the  defenders  to  capitu- 
late. They  dispersed  to  various  states  for 
refuge,  and  left  their  city  to  the  kindly 
preserving  of  the  dust  and  rubbish  of  the 
ages.  To  the  fall  of  part  of  the  citadel, 
which  buried  deep  the  kingly  tombs  now 
unearthed,  is  due  their  marvellous  com- 
pleteness of  preservation.  And  no  later 
peoples  have  ever  taken  possession  of  the 
ancient  stronghold  to  rebuild  it  on  their 
own  plan. 

Beaa-vais  Choir. — The  Naveless  Choir 
of  Beauvais  Cathedral  has  been  described 
by  an  imaginative  writer  as  "  a  melancholy 
fragment  having  no  more  than  a  head  and 
arms  flung  out  in  despair,  like  an  appeal 
for  ever  ignored  by  Heaven."  The  history 
of  its  building  is  a  pointed  illustration  of 
the  proverbial  downfall  of  pride.  Origin- 
ally designed  to  be  the  great  northern 
rival  of  St.  Peter's  at  Rome,  the  builders 
of  the  Gothic  Cathedral  of  St.  Pierre  de 
Beauvais  aspired  to  outshine  the  great 
Basilica  in  beauty  and  to  exceed  it  in  size. 
Who  knows  how  near  their  ambitious 
project  might  have  approached  its  goal  ? 
Even  now,  although  the  choir  and  transepts  alone  were  raised,  and  the  choir  fell  in  and  the  spire 
fell  down,  and  the  whole  design  had  to  be  modified  with  every  restoration  and  rebuilding,  the 
general  impressiveness  of  this  great  church  is  caused  by  its  immensity,  its  loftiness,  and  its  strange 
effect  of  soaring  lightness.  Whatever  jarring  impression  its  incompleteness  may  leave  upon  the 
mind,  it  takes  away  the  breath  of  the  least  susceptible  beholder. 

From  outside,  the  tall  choir  walls  rise  like  high  cliffs  against  which  the  flying  buttresses  leap  up 
like  the  waves  that  lick  the  towering  rocks.  Their  form  and  proportions  are  miracles  of  grace  and 
lightness. 

The  great  project  was  commenced  with  the  building  of  the  choir  in  1225  a.d.,  but  ambition 
overleaped  knowledge,  and  the  architect's  pride  was  humbled  when,  in  1284,  twelve  years  after 
its  consecration,  the  roof  and  upper  portion  of  the  huge  choir  fell  in.  In  its  rebuilding  much  of  its 
beauty  had  to  be  sacrificed  to  increase  its  stability.     The  three  arches  on  either  side  of  the  choir 


I'^fom  'Stereo  copyright  by']  III,  C.  White  Co, 

THE  MEETING-PLACE  OF  THE  ELDERS.  MYCENAE. 

This  interesting  construction  in  the  citadel  of  Mycenae  was  dis- 
covered in  1876,  during  the  excavations  of  Dr.  Schliemann.  It  is  the 
place  of  assembly  where,  according  to  Homer,  the  old  men  of  the  city 
used  to  meet  and  sit  upon  a  semicircle  of  polished  stones. 


Photo  by'] 


\_Neurdein:  Frerfs. 


BEAUVAIS    CHOIR. 
Originally    designed    to    be    the    great    northern    rival  of    St.   Peter's    at    Rome,   the  beautiful    Cathedral  of   Beauvais    was    almost 
ruined  by  the    fall    of    the    upper    portion  of  the  choir:    the    beautiful    but    restored    remnant,   however,    testifies  to  the  splendour  of 
the'incompleted  design. 


828 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


FLORENCE 
A    view    of    tKe    notable    city    of    Northern    Italy,   showing    the     Duoino,    that    splendid    conception    of    Arnolfo    di    Cambio, 
who  in   1296  was  commissioned  to  build    the    loftiest,    most    sumptuous    edifice    that    human    invention    could    devise    or    human 
labour  execute. 

were  sub-divided  into  six  and  slightly  lowered.  Therefore  the  best  and  most  perfect  work,  being 
the  first  and  original,  is  found  in  the  transept  aisles  and  the  chapels  of  the  apse.  The  choir  has 
the  apsidal  end  common  in  French  cathedrals,  which  is  so  much  more  elegant  in  effect  than  the 
squared  end  more  often  found  in  the  English.  Stevenson  wrote  of  the  satisfaction  with  which  he 
looked  upon  the  east  end  of  a  French  church,  "  flanging  out  as  it  often  does  in  sweeping  terraces 
and  settling  down  broadly  upon  the  earth  as  though  it  were  meant  to  stay  there." 

The  building  of  the  transepts  was  continued  after  a  lapse  of  years,  in  1500,  and  dragged  on  for 
nearly  half  a  century,  when  a  spirit  of  haste  came  upon  the  builders,  together  with  a  sudden  recru- 
descence of  their  ancient  ambitions,  and  the  continuation  of  the  less  interesting  nave  was  abandoned 
for  the  erection  of  a  spire  which  really  should  exceed  in  height  the  Dome  of  St.  Peter's.  This  was 
finished  in  1568,  but  in  consequence,  probably  of  the  absence  of  nave,  this  great  superstructure 
found  insufficient  support,  and  lasted  but  a  few  years.  On  Ascension  Day,  1573,  while  the  clergy 
and  people  were  passing  in  procession  through  the  streets  of  the  town  and  the  Cathedral  was 
fortunately  deserted,  the  spire  fell  with  a  lamentable  confusion  of  destruction. 

The  spirit  of  the  builders  of  Beauvais  was  now  broken  ;  they  ceased  to  aspire  to  eclipse  the  great 
Roman  Basilica,  and  when  the  damage  done  had  been  repaired,  contented  themselves  with  crowning 
the  choir  with  a  modest  spire  of  wood.  And  so  this  great  choir  stands  to  this  day,  a  monument  of 
what  might  have  been  had  the  Cathedral  ever  attained  completion  as  originally  planned.  It  is 
noteworthy  that  Europe's  two  most  stupendous  choirs,  Beauvais  and  Cologne,  were  both  finished 
almost  simultaneously  in  1322. 

The  stained  glass  of  Beauvais  is  particularly  fine  and  dates  from  the  best  period  of  the   art. 


Europe 


829 


"  The  space  between  its  slender  pillars  is  so  entirely  filled  with  glass  that  the  whole  range  of  windows 
only  appears  hke  a  single  zone  of  light." 

Florence  Cathedral. — "  The  beauty  of  the  past  in  Florence  is  like  the  beauty  of  the  great 
Duomo,"  says  Ouida  in  "  Pascarel."  "  About  the  Duomo  there  is  stir  and  strife  at  all  times  ; 
crowds  come  and  go  ;  men  buy  and  sell  .  .  .  but  there  in  the  midst  is  the  Duomo  all  unharmed 
and  undegraded,  a  poem  and  a  prayer  in  one,  its  marbles  shining  in  the  upper  air,  a  thing  so  majestic 
in  its  strength  and  yet  so  human  in  its  tenderness  that  nothing  can  assail  and  nothing  equal  it." 
Here  is  a  beauty  and  a  dignity  that  grows  upon  one ;  it  cannot  be  truly  appreciated  until,  like 
Ruskin,  one  has  known  and  watched  for  many  days  "  that  bright,  smooth,  sunny  surface  of 
glowing  jasper,  those  spiral  shafts  and  fairy  traceries,  so  white,  so  faint  and  crystalline,  that 
their  slight  shapes  are  hardly  traced  in  darkness  on  the  pallor  of  the  eastern  sky,  that  serene 
height  of  mountain  alabaster,  coloured  like  a  morning  cloud  and  chased  like  a  sea-shell." 

The  Duomo  is  dedicated  to  S.  Maria 
del  Fiore,  in  allusion  to  the  lily  in  the 
city  arms,  it  being  traditionally  sup- 
posed that  Florence  was  founded  in  a 
field  of  flowers.  In  1296  Arnolfo  di 
Cambio  was  commissioned  by  the  State 
to  build  upon  the  site  of  the  Church 
of  Santa  Reparata,  "  the  loftiest,  most 
sumptuous  edifice  that  human  inven- 
tion could  devise  or  human  labour 
execute."  The  magnificent  designs  of 
Arnolfo  were  not  carried  out  in  their 
entirety  by  later  architects,  but  Giotto, 
who,  in  1334,  designed  and  worked 
upon  the  splendid  tower  that  bears 
his  name,  and  Francesco  Talenti,  who 
commenced  work  in  1350,  and  to  whom 
we  owe  most  of  the  cathedral  we  now 
know,  were  no  unworthy  successors  of 
the  ambitious  Arnolfo.  Many  of  the 
wonderful  bas-reliefs  round  the  lower 
story  of  the  Campanile  were  the  work 
of  Giotto,  others  were  done  by  Luca 
della  Robbia  in  the  fifteenth  century. 
Ruskin  has  called  these  the  "  inlaid 
jewels  of  Giotto,"  and  adds  that  "  of 
representations  of  human  art  under 
heavenly  guidance,  the  series  of  bas- 
reliefs  which  stud  the  base  of  this 
Tower  of  Giotto  must  be  held  cer- 
tainly the  chief  in  Europe."  The 
beauty  of  this  tower  has  inspired 
many  a  laudatory  outburst  in  verse 
and  prose. 

Shortly  after  the  death  of  Giotto 
a  fine  facade  was  added  to  the  Cathe- 
dral which  was   the  work  of   several 


[//.  C.  ^YMIe  Co. 


From  Stereo  copyi-ight  hy"] 

GIOTTO'S    TOWER.     FLORENCE. 
This  is  really  tKe  Campanile,  or    Bell  Tower,  attached    to    the    Cathedral. 
Upon    it    Giotto    has    lavished    some    o"     his    finest    work,  so    that    it    stands 
supreme  amongst  the  beautiful  buildings  of  the  world. 


/■"/■'„;,  st'-r'-"  n.riir(,jhl  /-i,]  U^-  <^-  ^^'^ife  Co. 

THE    JUNGFRAU. 

Another  of  the  notable  peaks  of  the  Alps.     Often  when   the  storm  clouds  envelope  the  mountain  with   their  darkness, 

relieved  by   the  snows  of   its   summit,    the   scene   is  one  of   great   grandeur. 


Europe 


831 


of  the  first  sculptors  of  the  day;  but  it  was  destroyed  in  the  sixteenth  century.  The  pre- 
sent fa9ade  is  modern.  The  many-coloured  marbles  which  cover  the  building  were  gradually 
added  during  successive  generations.  And  the  Cathedral  was  not  given  its  great  dome  until  the 
fifteenth  century.  The  splendid  cupola  rests  upon  a  drum  above  the  roof,  and  is  the  work  of 
Brunelleschi.  It  is  a  double  dome,  the  one  being  enclosed  within  the  other  ;  it  is  the  earliest  example 
of  this  design  and  ranks  as  the  finest  in  Europe.  The  beautiful  ribs  are  a  feature  of  this  dome  and 
add  much  to  its  effect.  A  century  later,  when  Michelangelo  was  commissioned  to  build  the 
Basilica  of  St.  Peter,  to  surpass  the  achievement  of  Brunelleschi  was  set  before  him  as  the  object 
of  his  ambition,  for  until  the  completion 
of  St.  Peter's  the  Florentine  cathedral 
was  the  largest  church  in  Europe. 

The  interior  of  the  Cathedral  is 
vast,  dim  and  bare.  The  exterior  is 
so  profusely  decorated  that  in  the 
entire  absence  of  ornament  in  the  in- 
terior we  find  a  poignant  contrast  to 
the  richness  of  its  outer  ornamenta- 
tion. The  reason  of  this  is  that  the 
building  was  openly  erected  as  a 
monument  that  should  be  worthy  in 
size,  dignity  and  beauty  of  the  Floren- 
tine people  and  their  greatness,  not  of 
the  sacred  use  and  worship  that  might 
have  been  expected  to  inspire  it. 

In  the  document  which  decreed 
its  building  this  is  expressly  set  forth. 
Other  and  older  towns,  especially  Pisa 
and  Siena,  started  cathedral  building 
before  Florence,  and  raised  greater 
fanes  than  any  she  possessed,  until 
by  a  sense  of  rivalry  she  was  roused 
to  give  Arnolfo  his  commission  in 
1296.  Every  energy  therefore  was 
expended  upon  the  exterior,  that  that 
might    be   made    a   thing    of    notable      ''"""' '"  ^""""^ 

force  and  significance.  The  interior  is  vast  and  lifeless.  The  whole  nave  is  only  supported 
by  four  colossal  arches,  therefore  there  are  no  mysterious  vistas,  no  clustering  columns  to  lead  the 
eye  on  and  up,  so  that  the  immensity  of  the  spaces  is  unreahzed  at  a  first  entrance.  And  those 
pictures  of  St.  Maria  del  Fiore  that  live  in  the  memory  are  of  the  beautiful  dignity  of  its  brilliant 
outer  shell,  and  the  graces  of  its  soaring  Campanile  that  points  with  delicate,  slender  fingers  to  the 
deep  and  tender  blue  of  the  Italian  sky. 

The  Jungfraa. — At  an  altitude  of  thirteen  thousand  six  hundred  and  seventy  feet  above  the 
sea  level,  and  flanked  by  its  scouts,  the  Peak  of  Silver  and  the  Peak  of  Snow,  the  White  Maiden, 
which  in  German  is  called  the  Jungfrau,  pierces  the  bluest  of  ether,  or,  anxious  to  veil  herself,  throws 
a  dense  mantilla  of  vapoury  clouds  around  her  head.  Not  so  tall  as  her  immediate  neighbour,  the 
Finsteraarliorn,  she  is  nevertheless  far  more  celebrated — the  symbol,  as  it  were,  of  mountain- 
climbing,  the  banner  of  the  Alps  unfurled  abroad  in  order  to  attract  the  tourist  to  green  Alpine 
valleys,  to  the  snows  of  glaciers,  to  the  whipped  foam  of  a  waterfall.  For  the  Swiss,  moreover,  the 
Jungfrau  has  a  symbolic  meaning.       According  to  the  tradition,  three  men  took  the  Riitli  Oath  : 


From  stereo  copyj-ight  by^ 


ill.  C.  While  Co. 
THE    JUNGFRAU. 
It  is  from  distances  that  tKe    beauty  of  this    mountain    s  most  apparent, 
when    its    glaciers    can    be    seen    reaching    down    its    wide    flanks    into    the 


832 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


they  are  generally  represented  as  standing  in  a  mountain  glen  on  the  Lake  of  Lucerne  beneath  the 
starry  sky,  swearing  death  to  the  tyrant  Austrian  and  freedom  for  their  native  land.  Their  left  hands 
are  clasped,  their  right  arms  raised  with  three  fingers  stretched  out  as  the  oath  was  taken.  The 
Jungfrau,  Monch  and  Eiger,  inseparable  companions  carved  in  rock  and  ice,  are  the  symbol  of  those 
three  raised  fingers,  of  those  three  men  who  are  supposed  to  have  brought  about  the  downfall  of 
Gessler  and  the  subsequent  independence  of  the  central  cantons. 

The  ascent  of  the  Jungfrau,  though  difficult  and  fatiguing,  is  not  dangerous  from  the  eastern  side. 
The  first  ascent  was  made  exactly  one  hundred  years  ago  by  two  Swiss— guides  they  can  hardly 
be  called,  for  in  those  days  mountain-cHmbing  tourists  were  as  scarce  as  snow  on  the  desert's  face. 
Within  the  next  forty  years,  that  is,  until  1851,  only  foui:  further  ascents  were  made,  and  it  was 
only  fourteen  years  later  that  two  Englishmen,  Sir  George  Young  and  Rev.  H.  B.  George,  succeeded 
in  climbing  the  peak  from  the  western,  or  Interlaken,  side.  To-day  the  ascents  during  the  summer 
are  frequent,  but  owing  to  the  construction  of  the  railway  the  boldest  mountain  chmbers,  annoyed 


From  Stereo  copyright  &y] 

STONEHENGE. 
Stonehenge,  or  as  it  is  in  the  Saxon,  Stanhengist^  signifying  "  tWe  hanging  stones. 


III.  C.  White  Co. 


s  noted  for  the  mighty  megalithic  monu- 
ments which  stand  out  boldly  from  the  surrounding  plain.     The  exact  origin  has  never  been  conclusively  determined. 

at  what  they  consider  the  desecration  of  their  happy  hunting-ground,  have  gone"further  afield  in 
search  of  unsullied  grandeur  and  mountain  fastnesses  undisturbed  by  the  whistle  of  an  engine. 
This  engine,  driven  by  electric  power,  and  belonging  to  the  rack-and-pinion  system,  curls  with  its 
train-load  of  travellers  from  the  Kleiner  Scheidegg  around  the  Eiger,  to  the  rear  of  the  Monch, 
emerging  at  a  prodigious  height  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Jungfrau.  It  was  begun  in  1897, 
and  opened  as  far  as  the  Eismeer  Station  in  1905,  but  the  originator  of  the  idea,  a  financier  in 
Ziirich,  did  not  live  to  see  its  completion.  The  Eismeer  Station  is  at  a  distance  of  about  four  miles 
from  the  Kleiner  Scheidegg,  and  three  and  a  half  miles  from  the  proposed  terminus,  two  hundred 
and  forty  feet  from  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  which  will  eventually  be  reached  by  means  of  a 
lift.  The  utility  of  the  whole  scheme  can  be  questioned,  and  the  loud  complaints  of  Nature  lovers 
be  justified,  but  the  Jungfrau  railway  must  nevertheless  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  stupendous 
engineering  feats  of  the  age.  Nor  can  it  be  said  to  have  marred  the  beauty  of  the  mountain  in  the 
eyes  of  those  who  have  never  seen  its  gigantic  mass  from  a  distance  nearer  than  Interlaken,  Wen- 
gernalp  or  the  Kleiner  Scheidegg.     It  is  from  such  distances,  moreover,  that  its  beauty  is  most 


liy  ihc  Photuctitont   Co. 


THE    CHURCH    OF    THE    RESURRECTION    OF    CHRIST. 


This  splendid  miiJi-rn  church,  which  is  built  in  the  ancient  Muscovite  style,  is  erected  over  the  spot  where  Alexander  II. 
■was  assasinated.    It  took  2i  years  to  build,  and  is  a  vast  treasure-house  of  rare  and  precious  mosaics. 


Europe 


833 


apparent,  because,  having  reached  its  sides,  the  mountaineer  no  longer  admires  its  rocks  and  ice 
but  the  view  obtained   over  tlie    surrounding   country    and    over    a    sea   of   snow-capped    peaks 
glistening  in  the  sunshine. 

Sionehenge. — Salisbury  Plain,  of  military  renown,  can  boast  of  the    finest  example  of  Celtic 
cromlech  in  existence,  and  though  the  majority  of  the  menhirs  which  once  constituted  the  enceinte 
have  fallen,  "  the  few  hoary  stones  still  extant  are  sufficiently  imposing  to  excite  the  wonder  of  the 
passing  traveller,  and  mysterious  enough  to  puzzle  the  antiquary."     Originally  Stonehenge  was  a 
circular  enclosure,  three  hundred  feet  in  diameter,  and  approached  from  the  north-east  by  an  avenue, 
traces  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen.      It  was  formed  of  two  concentric  circles,  eighty  and  one  hundred 
feet  in  diameter  respectively.     The  larger  circle  was  composed  of  trilithons — that  is,  series  of  two 
menhirs  surmounted  by  a  capstone — and  the  smaller  by  "  bluestone  "  menhirs.      Of  the  trilithons, 
sixteen  are  standing  out  of  thirty,  and  they  vary  in  height  from  ten  to  thirty  feet ;  the  "  bluestones," 
originally  forty  in  number,  have  dwindled  to  two  or  three,  and  are  only  four  or  five  feet  high.     As 
seen  by  our  illustration,  these  monolithic  blocks  were  placed  in  a  standing  position.     The  two  outer 
circles  were  followed  by  two   horseshoe-shaped   enclosures  of   trilithons,  the  open  end  facing  the 
avenue.     In  the  latter,  and  at  a  distance  of  about  twenty  yards  from  the  described  enceinte,  stands 
to  this  day  a  huge  menhir  called  "  Friar's  Heel,"  and  where  the  outer  circle  crosses  the  avenue  lies 
a  recumbent  stone,  most  likely  used  by  the  Celts  for  sacrificial  purposes.     Inside  the  smallest  horse- 
shoe  enclosure,  and  in   a  line 
with  "  Friar's  Heel  "  and   the 
sacrifice  stone,  lies  another  re 
cumbent    menhir,    fifteen    feet 
long,  called  the  altar.     At  the 
summer    solstice,    the   sun,   as 
viewed  by  a  spectator  at  the 
altar,  would  rise   immediately 
behind  "  Friar's  Heel  "—that 
is,  it  would  have  done  so  about 
three    thousand    six     hundred 
years     ago     when     the      old 
Celtic  Druids  constructed  their 
temple,  though,  owing  to  the 
lapse  of  centuries,    there  is  a 
slight    variation    to-day.      In 
other  respects,  too,  Stonehenge 
has   suffered  changes,  most  of 
the    trilithons    having    fallen, 
and    many     of    the     menhirs 
having   been    taken    away    in 
centuries  past   to    be  used  in 
building.     Nevertheless  it    re- 
mains one  of  the  most  mysteri- 
ous and  geometrically  perfect 
specimens  of  Druid  work. 

Chxronea. — Alone      in     its 
battered  solitude,  the  Lion  of 

/^,  11       j_  ■     J     ii  r/-oin  .stereo  copyritt/it  hu]  [//.  C  ^yhile  Co, 

Chicronea  recalls  to  mmd  the  '  stonehenge. 

last       heroic       attempt       of       the  The    buildmg  of    these    circular    enclosures  by   the   Draids    still  remains  a  mystery. 

r^  t  ,  ,  ,      •  ,  Those   at    Stonehenge  are  the    most    mysterious  and  geometrically  perfect  specimens  of 

Greeks  to  save   their  country      D^uid  work. 

54 


834 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


from  the  encroaching  power  of  Philip  of  Macedon.  The  Lion  stands  again  to-day,  as  it  did 
two  thousand  years  ago,  overlooking  the  battlefield  of  Chaeronea,  where,  in  338  B.C.,  the 
Athenians,  Thebans  and  Boeotians  made  their  last  stand  and  were  routed.  The  Athenian  dead 
were  taken  to"^their  native  city  and  buried  to  the  stirring  words  of  Demosthenes  ;  the  Thebans 
were,  however,  buried  on  the  battlefield,  and  the  Lion  of  Chaeronea  arose  to  mark  their  tomb. 
It  was  of  blue-grey  Boeotian  marble,  of  huge  dimensions,  but  by  no  means  monohthic,  having 
been  carved  in  parts,  which  were  united  together  with  iron  clamps.  In  the  course  of  centuries  it 
fell  from  its  pedestal — according  to  one  theory,  having  been  blown  up  by  treasure-seekers,  but 
more  probably  because  of  the  deteriorated  state  of  its  foundations.  In  1905  a  new  pedestal  was 
erected,  and  the  Lion,  after  having  been  carefully  mended  and  pieced  together,  as  clearly  seen  in 

the  accompanying  photograph,  was  seated  on  its 
nineteenth-century  throne,  where  it  continues  to 
hold  watch  over  the  pass  leading  from  Phocis  into 
Boeotia,  not  far  distant  from  the  Gulf  of  Corinth. 
A  railway  passes  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the 
spot,  and  a  small  village,  Kapraena,  nestles  at  the 
foot  of  the  acropolis  of  Chaeronea ;  but  otherwise 
the  Lion  watches  alone  over  the  field  of  Philip's 
victory. 

Amiens. — Thirteenth-century  Gothic  has  not 
left  a  nobler  pile  than  the  cathedral  church  at 
Amiens,  generally  recognized  by  art  students  to 
be  one  of  the  architectural  gems  of  France.  Our 
illustration  shows  the  western  facade,  but  the  in- 
terior of  the  edifice  is  not  less  strikingly  beautiful, 
and  its  one  personal  note,  that  by  which  it  is  re- 
membered when  details  have  been  forgotten,  is  the 
central  nave,  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  high — a 
height  that  is  rendered  more  impressive  by  the 
low  lateral  aisles,  the  boldness  of  the  columns  and 
by  the  general  sobriety  of  the  Gothic  architecture. 
The  croisee,  where  transept  and  nave  cross,  is  sur- 
mounted by  a  slender  spire.  The  choir,  of  beautiful 
carved  stalls  and  a  screen  of  later  date,  being  in 
the  flamboyant  style,  has  a  deambulatory  between 
it  and  the  apse  with  its  chapels.  Lateral  chapels 
terminate,  moreover,  the  aisles  running  parallel  to 
the  transept.  The  total  length  of  the  church  is  four 
hundred  and  sixty-nine  feet,  and  its  width  at  the  transept  two  hundred  and  sixteen  feet.  The 
western  fa9ade  is  a  wealth  of  sculptural  decoration  in  the  Gothic  style.  The  three  portals  are 
covered  with  statuary  of  saints,  and  that  perfect  precision  and  carefulness  so  dear  to  Ruskin 
are  evident  in  the  workmanship  of  each  detail,  whether  ornamental  or  constructive.  The  central 
portal  is  surmounted  by  a  fine  thirteenth-century  statue  of  the  Saviour.  The  second  and  third 
bodies  are  formed  of  two  running  galleries,  the  inferior  being  composed  of  ogival-arched  windows, 
and  the  superior  of  twenty-two  niches  containing  statues  of  the  Kings  of  Judea.  The  fourth  body 
is  remarkable  for  a  handsome  rose-window  reminiscent  rather  of  the  Romanesque  than  of  the  Gothic 
style,  owing,  perhaps,  to  the  square  frame  surrounding  it.  The  two  square-shaped  spireless  towers 
which  terminate  the  facade  are  joined,  in  half  their  height,  by  a  double  gallery  of  delicate  and 
fragile  masonry  of  the  best  ogival  workmanship. 


From  Stereo  copyright  by']  lUnderuood  &  Undericood. 

THE     LION    OF    CHAERONEA. 

This    splendid    Greek    statue     was    dug    up    in     1880. 

tosether    with    the    bones  of  260  Creeks.      It    was    erected 

Dy  the    Athenians    to    commemorate    the    heroic    resistance 

of  their  countrymen  in  the  Battle  of  Chaeronea,  B.C.   338. 


r|. 


.ill'i'^^frHi 


Photo  by'\ 


l^eurdein  Freres. 


THE    CATHEDRAL    OF    AMIENS. 
Ruskin,    in    his    description    of     the    Cathedral,    has     recalled    the    dictum    of    Viol let-le- Due,    who    described    the    building    as 
The    Parthenon    of    Gothic    Architecture — pure,    authoritative,    unaccusable."      The    nave    of    the    Cathedral    is    of    unexampled 
loftiness. 


836 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


photo  hy] 


[7'he  Photovhrom  Co.  Ltd. 


THE    AMPHITHEATRE.    NIMES. 


The  exterior  of  this  Amphitheatre  is  better  preserved  than  any  of  those  extant,  even  including  the  Colosseum  at  Rome.  It 
is  constructed  of  massive  stone  cubes,  fitted  together  without  mortar,  and  the  whole  arena  was  covered  in  Roman  times 
with  an  awning. 

Nimes. — Situated  in  a  central  part  of  Nimes,  opposite  the  Lyceum,  stands  the  city's  greatest 
attraction,  one  of  the  most  perfectly  preserved  Roman  arenas  in  existence,  dating  from  the  latter 
part  of  the  first  century.  The  arena  at  Aries,  likewise  in  the  south  of  France,  is  larger,  but  its  state 
of  preservation  cannot  compare  with  that  at  Nimes.  The  exterior  wall  of  the  elliptical  building 
is  four  hundred  and  forty  feet  in  its  greatest  length  and  three  hundred  and  thirty-six  feet  in  its 
greatest  width.  The  arena,  properly  speaking,  is  only  two  hundred  and  twenty-seven  feet  by  one 
hundred  and  twenty-six  feet — large  enough,  however,  for  a  man  standing  in  it  to  appear  insignificant 
as  an  ant  to  a  spectator  seated  on  the  upper  tier.  As  seen  in  the  illustration,  the  arena  is  surrounded 
by  a  wooden  wall  or  barricade.  This  is  of  modern  construction,  and  serves,  in  a  bull-fight  (for 
the  south  of  France  is  addicted  to  Spain's  national  sport,  and  this  old  Roman  arena  has  seen  the 
feats  of  some  of  the  most  famous  matadors),  as  a  rampart  behind  which  the  toreros  can  find  refuge 
if  charged  too  closely  by  the  infuriated  beast.  The  seats  are  divided  into  thirty-five  rows  of  four 
tiers.  According  to  Roman  custom,  the  upper  tier  was  reserved  for  persons  of  rank,  the  second 
for  knights,  the  third  for  plebeians,  and  the  fourth  for  slaves.  The  seating  capacity  is  for  twenty- 
four  thousand  spectators,  who  have  access  to,  and  egress  from,  the  arena  by  means  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-four  vomitories.  Four  gateways,  one  at  each  axis  of  the  ellipse,  lead  into  the  arena, 
the  principal  one  being  that  on  the  north-west  side,  facing  the  Lycee. 

Seen  from  the  exterior,  the  building  is  composed  of  two  stories,  each  of  sixty  arches  or  windows  ; 
the  lower  arches  are  flanked  by  square  buttresses  or  pilasters,  and  the  upper  by  Doric  columns. 
An  attic-like  superstructure  consists  of  a  hundred  and  twenty  projecting  stones,  or  consoles,  pierced 
with  holes,  to  which  was  affixed  the  vel(irium„  or  awning  covering  the  arena.      As  in  the  days  of 


Europe 


837 


the  Romans  sea-fights  were  among  the  tableaux  represented,  the  rain-water  was  collected,  by  means 
of  an  ingenious  sloping  of  the  seats,  in  reservoirs,  and  was  then  used  for  flooding  the  arena.  Note- 
worthy about  the  building  is  the  thickness  of  the  walls,  the  distance  from  the  lowest  tier  of  seats  to 
the  exterior  of  the  building  being  one  hundred  and  ten  feet ;  the  height,  on  the  other  hand,  of  the 
attic  from  the  pavement  is  seventy  feet. 

Axenstrassi. — The  romantic  Lake  of  Lucerne,  with  its  deep-green  waters  reflecting  the  heights 
of  Rigi,  Pilatus  and  the  Uri  Rothstock,  cannot  boast  of  a  more  picturesque  corner  than  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  Urner  See,  along  the  eastern  shore  of  which  the  Swiss  Government  built,  in  1863, 
the  far-famed  Axenstrasse,  leading  from  Brunnen  to  Fliielen,  and  serving  not  only  as  a  tourist 
attraction,  but  as  a  strategical  route  commanding  the  approach  from  the  south.  This  road  has  been 
hewn  out  of  the  rock,  and  forms  a  series  of  tunnels  and  galleries,  now  almost  on  a  level  with  the 
lake,  now  hundreds  of  feet  above  it.  Beside,  below  or  above  it,  the  St.  Gothard  line  pursues  the 
even  tenor  of  its  way,  and  it  was  primarily  with  a  view  to  guard  this  artery  of  commerce  between 
the  north  and  the  south  that  the  Axenstrasse  was  built. 

The  Fliielen  end  of  the  road  offers  the  wildest  and  most  imposing  scenery,  commanded  as  it  is 
by  the  Uri  Rothstock  and  its  glacier.  Here  also  is  the  Axen,  a  grand  mass  of  rock  rising  preci- 
pitously and  to  a  height  of  over  three  thousand  feet  sheer  out  of  the  lake,  and  pierced  by  the  longest 
tunnel  on  the  route,  at  the  corner  of  the  Axenseck,  just  beyond  Tellsplatte.  This  latter  is  a  rock, 
surrounded  by  trees  and  projecting  into  the  lake,  popularly  believed  to  indicate  the  spot  where 
William  Tell,  the  Swiss  national  hero,  escaped  from  the  boat  in  which  he  was  being  taken  prisoner 
to  Altdorf.     A  chapel,  dating  from  the  fourteenth  century,  crowns  the  spot  to-day,  and  is  the  yearly 


I'ltiilo  hy}  [Tlie  J'holochrom  Co.  Lid. 

THE    AMPHITHEATRE.    NIMES. 

Twenty-four  thousand  people  could  be  accommodated  on  the  surrounding  be  nches.  and  124  means  of  exit  were  provided  for 
the  audience.  The  thirty-five  rov  s  of  seats  were  divided  into  four  tiers,  the  first  for  important  personages,  the  second  for 
knights,    the   third   for  plebeians,  and   the    fourth    for  r.'aves. 


838 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


scene,  on  the  Friday  following  Ascension  Day,  of  a  gala  festival  of  Swiss  peasants,  who  arrive  in  gaily 
decorated  boats.  Our  photograph  shows  a  picturesque  sketch  of  the  road  to  the  south  of  Tellsplatte, 
looking  towards  Fliielen. 

The  Escurial. — The  eighth  wonder  in  the  world,  if  we  ask  a  Castilian,  is  the  grim,  lugubrious 
monastery  and  royal  mausoleum  of  the  Escurial,  thirty  miles  to  the  north-west  of  Madrid  and  three 
thousand  four  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet  above  the  sea  in  the  inhospitable  mountains  separating 
Old  and  New  Castile.  Rough  and  arid  hilltops,  scorched  in  summer  by  the  sun  and  swept  bare 
in  winter  by  howling  blizzards,  surround  the  gigantic  monastery  on  three  sides,  while  on  the  fourth 
an  open  view  is  obtained  to  the  south-east,  in  the  direction  of  the  immense  rolling  plains  of  Central 
Spain.     Truly  a  fit  setting  for  the  pantheon  of  Spain's  monarchs  !     Philip  II.,  of  Armada  fame,  chose 

the  desolate  site,  for  his  Catholicism 
was  morbid,  and  he  gave  the  building, 
erected  in  his  lifetime,  into  the  keeping 
of  the  monks  of  St.  Jerome,  then  among 
the  most  pious  in  Spain.  He  built  his 
own  tomb  and  watched  the  sculptor 
perfect  his  kneeling  image.  As  soon  as 
part  of  the  edifice,  but  barely  begun, 
was  habitable,  he  moved  into  it,  and, 
living  in  the  severest  austerity  in  a  cell 
rather  than  a  regal  chamber,  he  died 
in  his  oratory  to  the  right  of  the  high 
altar.  The  latter  part  of  his  life  was 
mainly  preoccupied  with  the  building 
of  his  Real  Monasterio  de  San  Lorenzo 
del  Escorial,  and,  however  much  history 
blames  him  for  his  deeds,  posterity  must 
thank  the  combination  of  morbidness 
and  true  greatness  of  his  character  for 
having  given  to  the  world  one  of  its 
most  remarkable  buildings,  and  to  the 
Renaissance  school  of  architecture  its 
most  perfect  church. 

The    Escurial,    in    the    form    of    a 
parallelogram,     seven     hundred     and 
forty-four    feet    by  five  hundred   and 
eighty    feet,    covers    an  area   of    four 
approach  from  the  south.  huudrcd    thousaud    squarc    feet,    sur- 

rounded by  a  wall  of  great  height.  St.  Laurence  is  the  saint  to  whose  memory  the  monastery 
was  dedicated  in  1586,  twenty-three  years  after  the  first  stone  had  been  laid ;  and  the  reason  for 
this  dedication  is  to  be  found  in  the  battle  of  St.  Quentin,  when  the  king,  who  had  been  obliged 
to  order  the  demolition  of  a  convent  erected  to  St.  Laurence,  vowed  that  if  he  was  victorious  he 
would  build  the  saint  the  most  marvellous  monastery  in  the  world.  And  he  built  it  in  the  shape 
of  a  gridiron,  in  memory  of  the  patron  saint's  martyrdom,  and  under  the  high  altar  of  the  church 
he  placed  a  sumptuously-decorated  octagonal  crypt  to  serve  as  the  mausoleum  of  kings  and  their 
mothers.  The  first  to  be  placed  therein  was  his  father,  the  Emperor  Charles  V.,  and  beside  his 
tomb  was  left  a  vacant  space  with  the  following  inscription  in  Spanish  :  "  If  any  one  of  the 
descendants  of  Charles  V.  excels  him  in  the  prowess  of  his  deeds,  let  him  occupy  this  niche  ;  all 
others  are  reverently  to  abstain  from  encroaching."     The  niche  is  still  unoccupied. 


Prom  Slerea  copyriijM  hyl  [Undertrood  d-  Undericood. 

THE    AXENSTRASSE. 

This    road,  hewn  out  of    the    rock    and    forming  a  series  of  tunnels,  was 

built   by  the  Swiss  Government  in   1863.     It  leads  from  Brunnen  to   Fliielen, 

and  is  of    considerable    strategic    importance,    commanding,    as    it    does,    the 


§-8 

O     ft 
3     Q. 

n 

e  • 
p 

«    ST 

0-3 

3   e: 

n 

"   3 

0    o 
•"   3 

o   S. 
n  ■■■ 

a.        ^ 

S  ?    3: 

•  5"   m 

n 

m 
w 
n 

C 

^    n      ^ 

•  or 


X  o 


«  ? 


Si 

0     = 


O-  Q. 


840 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


[The  I'holochrom  Co.  Lul. 
LUCERNE. 


Very  imposing  is  the  immense 
size  of  the  Escurial,  especially  when 
seen,  as  in  our  photograph,  from 
the  Silla  de  Don  Felipe,  or  Phihp's 
Chair,  a  platform  cut  into  the  side 
of  one  of  the  overlooking  hills, 
where  the  monarch  was  in  the  habit 
of  reclining  on  a  litter,  watching 
the  progress  of  his  builders,  con- 
sulting his  artists,  giving  orders  to 
his  generals,  and  conferring  with 
foreign  ambassadors.  The  blue 
slate  and  leaden  tiles  of  the  roof 
glimmer  for  miles  away ;  a  perfect 
maze  of  windows  dot  the  buildings 
surrounding  the  dome  of  the  church 
■ — there  are  no  fewer  than  twelve 
thousand  windows  and  doors  in  the 
Escurial,  ninety-five  miles  of  corri- 
dors and  over  seven  thousand  saints' 
relics.  Inside  the  monastery  the 
architectural  severity  of  the  Doric 
order  is  without  doubt  unique  in 
the  world,  and  this  severity  is  by  no 
means  lessened  in  the  church,  where 
fresco  paintings  and  blood-red 
jasper  decorations  add  splendour, 
but  not  triviality,  to  the  whole. 

Glacier  Garden. — The  action  of 
glaciers  on  rock  and  stone  is 
nowhere    to    be    seen    in    a    more 


Pholo  hy'\ 

THE    GLETSCHERGARTEN 

picturesque  form  than  in  the  Gletschergarten  at  Lucerne.  These  unique  remains  of  a  primitive 
glacier  were  discovered  in  1872  in  the  vicinity  of  the  famous  Kursaal  of  the  Swiss  watering-place, 
and  since  then  have  formed  one  of  the  town's  chief  attractions.  The  gardens  lie  to  the  left  of  the 
Lion  Monument,  so  eloquently  apostrophized  by  Carlyle,  and  contain  a  series  of  thirty-two  potholes, 
or  miniature  "  giants'  cauldrons,"  likewise  called  "  glacier  mills."  In  aspect  they  resemble  granite 
cups  of  varying  size  and  depth,  the  largest  being  twenty-eight  feet  in  diameter,  and  the  smallest 
live.  In  depth  they  show  the  same  variation,  the  deepest  mill  attaining  twenty-nine  feet.  Some 
of  the  potholes  are  in  a  perfect  condition  and  can  still  boast  of  the  cannonball-shaped  granite  sphere 
which,  whirled  around  by  swirling  waters,  ground  the  cup  out  of  the  living  rock  which  was  subse- 
quently polished  by  the  slow,  grinding  action  of  the  ice. 

Beside  these  glacier  mills,  the  garden  contains  fossils  of  prehistoric  date,  and  a  large  variety 
of  Alpine  flora — the  whole  in  a  setting  of  green  trees,  and  a  park-like  enclosure  containing  chamois 
and  deer.  Remains  of  a  lake-dwelling  are  also  to  be  seen  'on  the  grounds,  but  these  have  been 
brought  to  the  spot  by  the  authorities  from  one  of  the  JurasSt  lakes  in  the  west  of  Switzerland. 

The  Greek  Theatre. — The  Greek  Theatre  of  Syracuse  is  one  of  the  most  perfect  of  the  ancient 
world.  It  has  not  so  many  remains  of  its  marble  decorations  as  the  Theatre  of  Dionysius  at  Athens  ; 
there  are  more  extensive  remains  of  the  stage  in  other  Sicilian  theatres ;  but  the  whole  magnificent 
sweep  of  the  auditorium,  carved  out  of  the  limestone  rock,  is  perfect  except  for  its  marble  veneer, 


..,^v. 


Europe 


841 


'Va* 


t'lom  Stereo  copyHyht  by]  III.  C.  While  Co. 

THE    GREEK    THEATRE,    SYRACUSE. 

The  \vhole  of  this    vast    auditorium  is  carved  out  of   the 
litnestone  roc!<.  and  was  once  covered  with  marble. 


and  its  glorious  views  are  enhanced  by  the  fact 
that  we  can  still  enjoy  their  connection  with 
history.  Here  several  of  .(Eschylus's  tragedies 
were  presented  for  the  first  time  at  the  beginning 
of  the  fifth  century  before  Christ,  and  here,  to- 
wards its  close,  the  women  of  Syracuse  sat  and 
shrieked  and  prayed  while  the  supreme  battle 
against  the  Athenians  for  the  existence  of  the  city 
was  proceeding  in  the  great  harbour.  Here,  be- 
fore the  war  began,  its  hero  Hermocrates  nerved 
the  Syracusans  to  resist  the  omnipotence  of  Athens. 
Here  Timoleon,  the  Genius  of  Liberty,  was  carried 
on  a  litter,  in  his  blindness  and  old  age,  to  be  the 
oracle  whenever  the  city  was  in  straits.  From  its 
lofty  sides  you  look  across  wide  lemon  groves  over 
the  waters  of  the  great  harbour  and  the  marble^ 
harbour  of  Dionysius  and  the  island  citadel  of 
Ortygia,  all  that  survives  except  ruins  of  the 
London  of  the  Greeks. 

TTie  Street  of  Tombs. — At  the  back  of  the  Greek 
Theatre  is  the  Street  of  Tombs.  More  curious 
than  beautiful,  for  it  has  none  of  the  beautiful  sculpture  which  made  the  tombs  of  the  Ionian  Greeks 
"  the  Bible  of  pathos."  It  winds  up  a  hill  with  the  ruts  of  chariots  eaten  deep  into  its  rocky  road ; 
the  Greek  idea  of  a  road  was  to  scrape  off  the  earth  until  you  came  to  the  rock,  and  level  that 
roughly.  On  each  side  of  the  road  low  doorways  admit  you  to  square  chambers  cut  in  the  rocky 
sides  ;  both  road  and  chambers  are  below  the  level  of  the  surrounding  land.  In  the  chambers  the 
most  important  personages  enjoyed  an  arcosolia — lunettes  four  or  five  feet  long,  just  wide  enough 
to  contain  a  hollow  for  the  corpse,  and  cut  in  the  shape  of  a  coffin.  People  of  less  importance 
had  coffin-shaped  holes  in  the  floor.  In  Sicily  the  ancients  preferred  to  cut  their  tombs  down 
instead  of  building  them  up.  Tombs  of  a  sort  go  all  round  the  walls  of  the  chamber.  The 
most  decorative  tombs  of  Syracuse,  like  the  Tomb  of  Archimedes,  are  not  here  ;  they  are  on 
the  hill  near  the  Latomia  Santa  Venere,  and  have  porches,  like  temples. 

Syracuse  has  the  finest  catacombs  in 
the  kingdom  of  Italy.  There  are  cata- 
combs no  great  distance  from  the  Greek 
Theatre  three  miles  in  length  and  in  parts 
very  deep.  They  are  neither  cold  nor 
damp,  but  wide,  clean  and  airy.  They 
are  cut  with  great  regularity  and  have 
numerous  rond-points,  or  circuses,  which 
may  have  been  used  for  chapels.  The 
catacombs  of  Rome  are  only  superior  to 
them  in  having  paintings  and  inscriptions 
of  which  the  Syracusan  catacombs  are 
almost  destitute,  though  the  catacombs  of 
Palazzolo  and  the  Val  dTspica,  forty  miles 
north  and  west,  are  rich  in  architectural 
ornaments,  like  the  tombs  of  the  Etruscans 
at  Cerveteri. 


Pholo  (.J/]  [£'.  G.  Wood. 

THE    STREET    OF    TOMBS.    SYRACUSE. 

People  of  rank    were    buried    in    the    hollows    cut    in  the  wall  : 
those  of  less  importance  in  the  floor. 


842 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


The  LatomtaSf  or  Quarries,  of  Syracuse, — The  chief  point  to  remember  about  Sicily  from  the 
picturesque  point  of  view  is  that,  with  certain  settlements  on  the  coast  of  Italy,  it  formed  the  greater 
part  of  Greece.  The  Greeks  themselves  spoke  of  Magna  Grsecia.  In  Greece  proper  the  enter- 
prisingness  of  Athens  made  the  Ionian  Greeks  fill  the  greatest  space  in  Greek  history,  which  was  also 
mostly  written  in  the  Ionian  dialect.  In  Magna  Grsecia  the  Dorian  race  had  its  predominance 
owing  to  the  enterprisingness  of  Syracuse.  Syracuse  was  the  largest  and  the  richest  of  all  Greek 
cities.     It  was  the  first  European  city  to  have  a  million  inhabitants.    The  splendid  buildings  which 

filled    the    Temenos,   or   precincts    of  the 

Gods,  between  the  five  quarters  of  the 
city  and  its  fortifications,  of  which  a  mag- 
nificent castle  still  exists,  were  built 
of  stone  excavated  from  the  Latomias. 
Nearly  the  whole  of  Sicily  is  covered  with 
a  rocky  floor,  hollow  underneath,  which 
accounts  for  its  marvellous  catacombs 
and  subterranean  cities.  Round  Syracuse 
the  floor  is  thin,  and  the  quarrymen  soon 
cut  through  it,  laying  open  to  the  sky 
the  vast  caverns  underneath,  whose  rocky 
sides  gave  an  inexhaustible  supply  of 
magnificent  building  stone.  Nowadays 
their  bottoms  are  filled  with  a  magni- 
ficent undergrowth,  where  they  have  not 
been  laid  out  in  orange  groves  and  olive- 
gardens  and  almond-gardens,  secure  from 
the  gales.  Two  of  them  are  famous  in 
history.  The  Latomia  dei  Cappuccini, 
which  is  by  far  the  largest,  was  used 
as  the  prison  of  the  two  Athenian  armies 
captured  when  the  siege  of  Syracuse  was 
raised.  The  Latomia  del  Paradiso,  the 
next  in  size,  contains  the  extraordinary 
cavern  called  the  Ear  of  Dionysius.  The 
bottom  of  this,  according  to  tradition,  was 
the  prison  in  which  the  tyrant  Dionysius 
kept  his  victims.  At  the  top  is  a  tiny 
gallery,  accessible  from  the  outside  but 
invisible  from  within,  in  which  the  tyrant 
sat  and  listened  to  the  conversations  of 
his  prisoners.  While  it  was  perfect  he 
could  almost  hear  a  whisper;  now  a  vocal 
acrobat  makes  echoes  and  organ  noises  for  you  to  listen  to  which  you  could  hear  across  the 
Thames. 

The  most  beautiful  of  the  quarries  is  the  Latomia  di  Santa  Venere  (the  Goddess  of  Love  is  mixed 
up  with  some  obscure  saint),  and  the  dripping-well  here  is  called  the  Bath  of  Venus.  This  quarry 
is  the  richest  of  all  in  tropical  vegetation,  and  has  its  rocks  honeycombed  with  niches  which  once 
contained  the  marble  memorials  of  the  Roman  dead.  The  other  two  Latomias  are  unimportant, 
though  the  Latomia  del  Filosofo  gets  its  name  from  having  been  the  prison  of  a  literary  man  who 
was  so  foolish  as  to  laugh  at  the  poetical  attempts  of  his  sovereign. 


From  Stereo  copyright  hyl 

THE    GREEK    QUARRIES. 


[//.  ('.   Whit''  l\ 
SYRACUSE 


From  here  was  taken  al 
ancient  city  of  Syracuse^thi 
inhabitants. 


the     stone     that      went    to    build    the 
first     in     Europe     to      have     a     million 


From  Stereo  copyrujM  !.,i/]  ^"-  ^-  "'''"''  ^''• 

THE    GREEK    QUARRIES.    SYRACUSE. 

A   grotto    in    the    Latomia  del   Paradiso.     This    quarry    contains    the    cavern    called  the   Ear  of   Dionysius.  for  the   tyrant  is 

supposed  to  have  listened  here  to  the  whispered  secrets  of   his  prisoners,  enclosed  within   the  cave. 


844 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


The  Cathedral  of  St. 
Basil  the  Blessed,  Mos- 
COTV. — This  wonderful  and 
ancient  cathedral  stands  on 
the  southern  side  of  the 
famous  Red  Square  {Kras- 
naia  Plosfchad),  close  to 
the  walls  of  the  Kremlin. 
It  was  built  in  the  style  of 
the  old  Muscovite  Tsars 
in  the  years  i554-i557 
by  the  orders  of  Ivan  the 
Terrible,  to  commemorate 
the  capture  of  Kazan.  It 
is  said  that  this  monarch 
was  so  delighted  with  the 
cathedral  when  he  saw  it 
completed  that  he  had 
the  eyes  of  his  architect 
put  out,  so  as  to  prevent 
the  unfortunate  man  from 
planning  another  one  like 
it. 

The  cathedra]  is  com- 
posed of  eleven  chapels 
superimposed  in  two  rows, 
forming  a  most  curious 
whole,  which  is  crowned 
by  twelve  domes  of  the 
most  variegated  forms 
and  colours.  Each  chapel 
has  its  separate  cupola, 
iconastase  and  altar, 

adorned  with  many  pictures  of  saints.     The  body  of  St.  Basil  is  buried  in  one  of  these  chapels.  • 
The  design  and  colouring  of  the  domes  of  Russian  churches  in  general  appear  extraordinary  and 

almost  barbaric  to  the  observer  at  the  first  glance,  especially  when  this  peculiar  style  of  architecture 

is  developed  to  the  extravagant  degree  which  is  illustrated  in  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Basil  the  Blessed. 

A  closer  study,  however,  reveals  the  beauty  and  originality  of  this  particular  style. 

In  1812  Napoleon  I.  ordered  General  Lariboisiere  to  blow  up  the  cathedral,  which  he  profanely 

styled  a  "  mosque."     Fortunately  circumstances  prevented  the  destruction  of  one  of  the  most 

interesting  monuments  in  Russia. 

The  Cathedral  of  St.  Basil,  erected  to  commemorate  the  capture  of  Kazan  achieved  by  Ivan  the 

Terrible  under  circumstances  of  inconceivable  horror,  is  to-day  the  object  of  the  peculiar  veneration 

of  the  Orthodox. 

Ivan  the  Terrible,  the  monster  who  slew  his  son  with  his  own  hand,  who  roamed  the  dungeons 

of  his  prisons  seeking  to  invent  new  tortures  for  his  unhappy  victims,  the  man  who  turned  naked 

women  and  girls  into  the  forests  in  order  that  he  and  his  courtiers  might  hunt  them  down  with 

bows  and  arrows,  has  left  this  beautiful  and  wonderful  building  to  revive  the  memories  of  his  reign. 

This  singular  monarch  was,  nevertheless,  the  first  to  introduce  the  printing  press  into  Russia.     His 


rholo  bp'\  [The  I'liotoehrom  Co.  Lid. 

THE    CHURCH    OF    ST.  BASIL,     MOSCOW. 

Built    by    order    of    the    Terrible    Czar,    tbe  Cathedral    is    said    so    to    have    delighted 

the    monarch     that    he    ordered    the    eyes    of    the  architect    to    be    put    out,    lest   he    should 
plan  another. 


Europe 


845 


warriors  were  the  first  to  commence  the  conquest  of  the  vast  and  fertile  regions  of  Siberia.  But 
perhaps  the  most  extraordinary  of  all  his  efforts  was  the  sending  of  a  mission  to  England  to  demand 
the  hand  of  Queen  Elizabeth  in  marriage.  Such  was  Ivan  the  Terrible,  to  whom  we  owe  the  Cathedral 
of  St.  Basil  the  Blessed. 

The  King  of  Bells. — One  of  the  most  famous  of  the  larger  bells  in  existence  is  the  "  Czar  of 
Bells,"  on  its  pedestal  at  the  foot  of  the  Ivan-Veliky  tower  in  the  Kremlin  at  Moscow.  Our  illustra- 
tion gives  a  good  idea  of  its  size  ;  its  height,  from  the  lower  rim  to  the  base  of  the  sphere,  is  sixteen 
feet,  and  its  greatest  circumference  fifty-eight  feet,  so  that  twenty  men  could  easily  stand  side  by 
side  on  the  pedestal  in  the  interior.  The  total  weight  is  two  hundred  tons,  that  of  the  broken  bit 
alone  being  ten  tons  ! 

The  King  of  Bells  was  never  used.  It  was  commissioned  in  1735,  and  two  years  later,  when  still 
in  the  mould,  a  fire  de- 
stroyed the  workshops  of  ^t.  ;H 
the  contractor,  with  the 
result  that  the  bell  was 
broken.  It  was  conse- 
quently left  in  the  earth, 
another  and  smaller  one 
being  made,  and  taking 
its  intended  place  in  the 
Ivan-Veliky  tower.  A 
hundred  years  later  the 
original  bell  was  dug  up 
and  placed  on  a  pedestal 
of  solid  masonry,  and  sur- 
mounted by  a  globe  and 
cross  as  seen  in  the  illus- 
tration. The  artistic  merit 
of  its  decorations  war- 
ranted the  change  in  its 
fortunes,  for  the  outer 
surface  is  covered  with 
allegorical  bas-reliefs  show- 
ing Czar  Ivan  and  Czarina 
Anna  Ivanovna  surrounded 
by  cherubs,  as  well  as 
by  figures  representing  the 
Saviour  and  Saints  Peter, 
Paul  and  John.  A  medal- 
Hon  inscription  surmounted 
by  the  Russian  eagle  covers 
the  broken  side,  and  thus, 
though  the  bell  was  mute- 
born,  and  has  never  chimed 
from  the  height  of  the 
neighbouring  Ivan-Veliky 
campanile  when  a  new  czar 
came  to  the  throne  of  all 
the  Russias,  it  nevertheless 


^--i     —     Jf: 


THE    GREAT    BELL,    MOSCOW 

This  bell,   although   the  largest   in   the  world,    has    never    been    hun 
in  the  foundry,  and    now    forms  a  chapel.      It  is    nineteen    feet    high 
rim,  and  weighs   198  tons. 


for  it  was  cracked 
sixty    feet    round    the 


846 


The  Wonders   of   the   World 


has  a  story  to  tell,  and  impresses  the  spectator  more,  perhaps,  than  if  it  had  been  hoisted  to  its 
exalted  place  between  heaven  and  earth. 

The  Kremlin. — "  Above  Moscow,  the  Kremhn  ;  above  the  Kremlin,  Heaven,"  runs  a  Russian 
proverb,  and  no  further  words  are  necessary  to  describe  the  importance  of  this  citadel  in  the  heart 
of  Moscow,  on  an  extensive  hill  to  the  north  of  the  river  Moskwa.  It  is  the  emblem  of  the  spiritual 
and  temporal  power  of  the  Czars — an  agglomeration  of  monasteries  and  palaces  (the  former  among 
the  wealthiest  in  the  world),  of  churches  and  cathedrals,  of  towers  and  spires,  the  whole  surrounded 
by  a  sixty-feet-high  wall.    The  bells  of  the  Ivan-Vehky  campanile  in  the  Kremhn  are  the  first  to  ring 

out  the  news  that  a  czar  has  ascended  to 
'  the  throne  of  his  fathers  ;  in  the  convents 

and  monasteries  are  secluded  the  princes 
and  princesses  of  the  royal  family,  and 
here  also  lie  the  mortal  remains  of  the 
present  ruler's  forbears.  As  for  the  view 
from  the  summit  of  the  Ivan-Veliky  tower, 
it  is  an  oriental  dream  of  extraordinary 
magnificence. 

Our  illustration  shows  the  exterior 
view  of  the  Spaskiia  tower  crowning  the 
principal  entrance  into  the  Kremlin  from 
Krasnaia  Square.  This  one-hundred-and- 
eighty-feet-high  structure,  called,  "of  the 
Saviour,"  is  the  most  famous  tower  in 
Moscow,  the  lower  part  having  been  built 
in  1491  by  the  Milanese  architect  P. 
Antonio.  One  hundred  and  thirty  years 
later  the  English  architect  Holloway  was 
commissioned  to  erect  the  upper  portion 
of  the  tower,  which  he  did  in  the  Gothic 
style.  The  clock  itself  dates  from  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  is  of  Russian 
workmanship.  On  each  side  of  the  en- 
trance is  a  small  chapel,  resembling  a 
sentinel-box  rather  than  a  religious  place 
of  worship,  and  above  the  entrance  a 
figure  of  the  Saviour,  "  the  palladium  of 
the  Kremlin,"  gives  its  riame  to  the  tower. 
It  was  brought  to  Moscow  from  Smolensk 
in  1685,  and  a  lamp  was  suspended  by  the 
Czar  Alexis  on  a  chain  from  its  pedestal.  The  order  was,  moreover,  given  that  all  who  passed  under 
the  lamp  should  reverently  raise  their  hats — an  order  that  was  obeyed,  under  penalty  of  death,  and 
has  now  become  a  custom  observed  by  all  patriotic  Russians. 

The  Crater  Lakes  of  North  Germany, — Although  we  know  that  in  the  elementary  stages  of 
the  world's  history,  Northern  Europe  had  her  share  of  active  volcanoes  whose  outbursts  were 
every  whit  as  terrible  as  those  of  more  Southern  climes,  it  is  difficult  to  realize  this  to-day.  For  they 
have  slumbered  so  long,  and  Time  and  Nature  have  so  robbed  these  volcanic  mountains  of  their 
terrors,  rounding  the  lava  crags  and  covering  them  with  verdure,  filling  the  craters  with  earth  or 
water,  that  little  remains  to  connect  them  now  with  their  violent  early  outbreaks.  And  yet,  in 
travelling  about  those  countries  where  evidences  of  former  volcanic  evidences  abound,  one  cannot 


From  Stereo  copyright  ^y]  [//.  C.  White  Co. 

THE  REDEEMER  GATE.  KREMLIN. 

This    gate    was    built  in    1491,    in    the    reign  of    Ivan    the    Great,  by 

Pietro  Solari.  of  Milan.      It    is    an    object  of    peculiar    veneration    to  the 

Russian    people    on    account  of    the   famous    eiUon    framed  in    gold    over 

the  entrance. 


H 

s- 


i   2 


■  a.  7i 

1  m 
S-  2 

2  r 


2 
O 

o 
O 


o 

i 


n 

3 


848 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


help  wondering  if  it  be  altogether  impossible  that  some  day  these  chimneys  by  which  the  interior 
heat  of  the  world  was  relieved  may  not  be  called  upon  again  to  do  their  work. 

This  idea  is  strongly  roused  in  North  Germany,  where  many  extinct  volcanoes  have  yet  retained 
their  threatening  characteristics.     Several  are  unusually  striking  and  all  are  extremely  interesting. 

The  special  German  volcanoes  of  the  Eifel  district,  which  are  the  subject  of  this  article,  have  the 
same  peculiarity  as  those  extinct  volcanoes  of  Auvergne  and  North  Italy — viz.,  that  of  having 
filled  their  crater  rings  with  pools  of  water,  forming  those  beautiful  tarns  known  as  crater  lakes. 
These  are  rendered  peculiarly  attractive  from  their  setting  amid  masses  of  bare  and  craggy  lava, 
and  the  silence  and  solitude  of  their  surroundings. 

Those  interested  in  volcanoes,  scientifically  or  otherwise,  should  not  overlook  the  Vorder  Eifel 
district,  which,  roughly  speaking,  lies  between  Coblentz  and  Andernach  on  the  Rhine.  The  scenery 
can  scarcely  be  surpassed  for  sylvan  beauty,  while  evidences  of  former  volcanic  outbursts  meet  the 
eye  everywhere,  making  a  sharp  contrast,  which  is  unexpected  in  Northern  climes.  Lava  is  piled 
in  masses,  or  spread  in  streams  that  may  be  followed  for  miles  on  every  side.  Houses  and  roads 
are  made  of  it,  and  it  is  evident  that  when  the  greatest  convulsions  of  Nature  took  place  the  Eifel 
district  was  a  warm  corner. 

The  volcanoes  whose  crater  rings  are  now  filled  with  lakes  are  nine  in  number.  The  largest 
is  Pulvermaar,  near  the  village  of  Gillenfeld,  and  not  far  from  the  Moselle.  Its  unexpected 
appearance  in  the  midst  of  a  desolate  level  (for  the  sides  of  the  volcano  have  crumbled  away),  makes 
a  great  impression.  Bordered  with  pine-trees,  reflecting  their  sombreness  in  the  motionless  water, 
they  shut  it  in  a  charmed  circle.  It  covers  ninety  acres  in  extent,  is  three  hundred  feet  deep,  with 
a  circumference  of  two  and  a  half  miles.     Circular  in  shape,  it  lies  one  thousand  three  hundred  and 


Pfioto  byl 


\_Ml-s.  J.  E,  Whitby^  the  author  of  the  aceompanj/in<;  article, 

THE    EXTINCT    CRATERS    OF    GERMANY. 
The   Lake  of   Pulvermaar. 


Europe 


849 


Photo  by'\ 


[Mrs,  J,  K.  W/titl/p^  the  author  of  the  accompanying  article. 
THE     EXTINCT    CRATERS    OF    GERMANY. 


The  Weinfeldcrmaar.     The  village  and  castle  lie  under  the  lake,  only  the  church  remains  standing  on  the  further  side. 

fifty  feet  above  sea-level.  It  takes  its  name,  Powder  Lake,  from  the  black  volcanic  dust  of  its 
sloping  sides.  There  is  something  so  incongruous  about  the  pall-like  silence  that  hangs  round  the 
scene  now,  and  its  desolation  and  the  recollection  of  the  violent  forces  that  hollowed  out  the  bed  of 
the  lake,  that  one  gazes  fascinated  and  yet  repelled. 

Two  small  pools  near  by  fill  craters  which  once  formed  part  of  the  same  burning  mountain. 

The  most  weird  of  all  the  Eifel  crater  lakes  lies  near  Mauderscheid,  one  of  the  beauty  spots  of 
the  district.  Lack  of  space  forbids  a  detailed  account  of  the  natural  loveliness,  but  the  village 
clings  to  the  edge  of  a  steep  cliff  overhanging  a  beautiful  circular  and  wooded  valley,  where  a 
silver  stream  meanders  around  and  between  two  rocky  eminences  crowned  with  rival  medieval 
castles,  making  a  scene  not  easily  forgotten.  On  one  side  the  country  stretches  into  open  landscape, 
where  stands  the  volcanic  hill,  the  Mosenberg. 

It  is  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  is  a  mass  of  basalt,  springs  abruptly  from 
the  plain,  and  not  even  Nature's  untiring  hand  has  succeeded  in  clothing  its  barren  sides  with  a 
blade  of  vegetation,  though  it  has  been  extinct  an  unknown  length  of  time.  In  its  fiery  youthful 
days  it  had  four  craters,  and  the  lava  crags  are  fifty  feet  high.  The  crater  lake  lies  in  one  of  its 
pointless  cones,  which,  rising  bare  and  solitary,  is  perhaps  the  most  convincing  volcano  of  the 
Eifel.  Its  horrible  bareness,  the  awful  stillness  of  the  black  water,  the  tortured-looking  lava  crags, 
seem  to  cut  the  place  from  all  that  is  sweet  and  bright  in  life.  It  has  a  terrifying,  haunting  aspect, 
and  seems  to  breathe  despair.  One  turns  away  with  a  shudder,  to  draw  a  breath  of  relief  at  the 
sight  of  red-roofed,  simple  village  homes  in  the  distance. 

An  immense  lava  stream  flowed  for  nearly  a  mile  from  the  south  crater  of  the  Mosenberg.  It 
filled  a  valley,  where  in  its  turn  the  waters  of  the  Kleine  Kyll  have  quietly  worn  themselves  a  lava 
bed.  At  Horngraben  the  lava  piled  itself  into  perpendicular  cliffs  two  hundred  feet  high,  resembling 
those  of  the  Giant's  Causeway,  Ireland. 

5S 


850 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Another  large  crater  lake  near  is  the  Meerfeldmaar,  but  Time  has  levelled  its  slopes  and  it 
resembles  an  ordinary  but  beautiful  loch  that  reflects  the  charms  of  the  surrounding  country.  Two 
smaller  pools  furnish  peat. 

Near  Daun  three  more  of  these  remarkable  crater  lakes  are  to  be  seen.  They  lie  close  together 
and,  indeed,  fill  three  craters  of  one  enormous  volcano.  They  are  specially  curious,  inasmuch  as 
though  close  neighbours,  they  are  on  different  levels.  The  smallest,  called  Gemundenemaar, 
which  is  one  thousand  three  hundred  and  sixty  feet  above  sea-level,  may  be  considered  the 
beauty  of  these  lakes.  It  lies  in  a  wooded  basin  once  the  crater,  with  a  fine  lofty  background.  It 
covers  eighteen  acres,  and  is  two  hundred  feet  deep.  Here  are  no  visible  lava  crags ;  all  is  hidden  by 
luxuriant  vegetation  thriving  in  volcanic  soil. 

On  the  steepest  side  of  the  old  volcano  lies  the  Weinfeldermaar,  which  covers  forty  acres  and 
is  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet  deep.     If  the  lake  at   Mauderscheid   inspires  horror,  this  induces 


Pnoio  by'] 


\_\frs.  J.  E.   lyfiifhy,  ffie.niiffwr  of  the  accotnpnnvifnj  article. 


THE     EXTINCT    CRATERS    OF     GERMANY. 
The  evidences  of   laval   flow  at   Horngraben. 

sadness.  Still,  silent,  without  even  a  bird's  voice  to  break  the  spell,  without  a  bush  or  tree  to  speak 
of  life,  it  yawns  alone  on  the  hill-top,  the  very  type  of  a  living  death. 

Only  a  tiny  church  stands  on  its  bank.  There  is  not  a  house  in  sight  to  promise  worshippers, 
nor  a  ruin  to  tell  of  the  past  history  of  the  little  village  which  once,  it  is  said,  clustered  round  the 
now  lonely  house  of  God.  A  local  legend  explains  the  appearance  of  the  lake  in  a  romantic  way  : 
A  thriving  community,  it  is  asserted,  once  lived  in  the  volcano  crater,  much  as  the  populous  villages 
cluster  round  the  slopes  of  Vesuvius.  It  appears  to  have  been  more  than  usually  wicked,  and, 
according  to  the  story,  was  threatened  with  Divine  punishment.  The  castle  lord,  riding  out  one 
day  with  a  henchman,  turned  to  take  another  proud  look  on  lands  and  home,  but  saw  to  his  amaze- 
ment that  only  a  stretch  of  water  lay  before  him.  Turning  back,  they  found  that  only  the  church 
and  a  babe  in  its  cradle  found  washed  up  to  the  church  door  had  been  spared. 

This  lake  lies  separated  from  its  sister  Schalkenmeerenmaar  by  a  mere  dyke  the  width  of  a 
road,  and  it  is  curious  to  learn  that  the  inhabitants  from  the  village  with  the  same  long  name 
as  the  lake,  bring  their  dead  to  the  solitary  church  on  Weinfeldermaar  for  the  funeral  service.  Up 
the  steep  slope  and  across  the  narrow  dyke  the  cofiin  must  be  carried,  no  matter  the  weather. 

Schalkenmeerenmaar,  the  largest  of  the  three  Daun  lakes,  lies  in  the  oldest  of  the  Eifel  craters, 


852 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Photo  bit} 


The 


{Mrs.  J.  E.  Whitby^  the  author  of  the  accovipanying  article^ 
THE     EXTINCT    CRATERS    OF    GERMANY. 
Mosenberg    Volcano,    near    Mauderschcid.    Eifel    district. 


and  is  the  only  lake  whose  waters  show  any  sign  of  a  natural  outlet.  From  it  flows  the  little  river 
Alf  that  falls  into  the  Moselle  at  Bullay.  Being  cultivated  on  all  sides,  it  has  a  less  forlorn  look 
than  its  neighbour.    Towards  the  east  the  lake  appears  to  be  drying. 

The  black  volcanic  sand  of  the  surrounding  hills  furnishes  material  for  the  manufacture  of 
Toof  tiles. 

To  the  north  of  the  little  town  of  Daun,  which  is  surrounded  by  streams  of  lava,  slag,  and 
other  volcanic  debris,  lies  the  small  crater  lake  of  Ulfenemaar,  which,  covering  thirteen  acres,  is 
surmounted  by  a  ruined  castle. 

The  Laacher  See,  which  is  the  largest  of  these  remarkable  lakes,  is  perhaps  not  quite  strictly 
a  crater  lake,  for  while  in  the  other  cases  the  part  of  the  cone  remained  to  hold  the  water  as  in  a  cup, 
in  this  the  whole  mountain  disappeared,  a  small  sea  taking  its  place.  This  lies  surrounded  by 
woods,  is  five  miles  in  circumference,  a  mile  and  a  half  in  diameter,  and  is  said  to  be  bottomless. 
Here  was  evidently  the  central  point  of  volcanic  activity  in  the  Vorder  Eifel.  The  mountain  had 
five  craters,  and  no  less  than  forty  lava  streams  can  be  counted  close  by.  The  picturesqueness  of  the 
Laacher  See  is  now  greatly  enhanced  by  the  beautiful  Benedictine  abbey  that  stands  on  its  bank. 

In  considering  the  illustrations  it  must  be  remembered  they  were  necessarily  taken  from  a  height, 
which  greatly  dwarfs  the  apparent  height  of  the  crater  slopes. 

Forth  Bridge. — The  railway  bridge  on  the  line  going  north  from  Edinburgh  to  Aberdeen,  and 
•crossing  the  Frith  of  Forth  from  Linlithgowshire  to  the  County  of  F>.fe,  is  certainly  one  of  the  most 
famous  engineering  feats  of  the  nineteenth  century,  and  was  proclaimed  by  M.  Eiffel,  the  originator 
•of  the  tower  which  bears  his  name,  to  be  "  the  greatest  construction  in  the  world."  It  took  seven 
years  to  build  (1883-90),  at  a  cost  of  three  million  pounds  sterling,  the  engineers  being  Sir  John 
Powler  and  Sir  Benjamin  Baker.     This  "  Giant  Bridge,"  two  thousand  seven  hundred  and  fifty-six 


Europe 


853 


yards  long,  is  of  a  cantilever  and  central  girder  system  :  "  the  principle  of  which  is  that  of  stable 
equilibrium,  its  own  weight  helping  to  maintain  it  more  firmly  in  position."  The  cantilevers,  of 
which  there  are  three,  repose  on  gigantic  caissons  sunk  in  the  Forth,  and  weigh,  when  full  of 
concrete,  fifteen  thousand  tons.  The  greatest  depth  at  which  these  caissons  were  sunk  was  ninety 
feet  below  high-water.  The  height  of  each  cantilever  is  three  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet — in  other 
words,  as  high  as  some  of  the  most  famous  church  towers  on  the  Continent.  The  spot  chosen  for 
the  construction  of  the  bridge  is  opposite  Inch  Garvie,  an  island  in  the  Forth,  separated  from  each 
bank  by  a  channel  two  hundred  and  forty  feet  deep.  The  problem  was  to  span  these  channels  at 
a  height  that  would  not  interfere  with  navigation.  One  of  the  cantilevers  being  erected  on  the 
island,  it  remained  to  erect  two  more  as  close  to  the  shores  of  the  Forth  as  possible.  The  result 
was  that  from  the  central  cantilever  two  immense  spans  had  to  be  constructed,  one  to  the  north  and 
the  second  to  the  south,  in  order  to  join  the  three  cantilevers.  The  stupendous  length  of  these 
main  spans  is  no  less  than  seventeen  hundred  feet,  constituting  a  record  in  bridges  of  this  type. 
Apart  from  the  boldness  of  the  design  and  its  execution,  the  Forth  Bridge  stands  unique  as  regards 
the  method  employed  for  the  sinking  of  the  caissons,  this  work  alone  having  brought  scientists  and 
engineers  from  Europe  and  America  who  were  keen  on  studying  the  pneumatic  process  emploj^ed. 
In  the  construction  of  the  cantilevers  and  spans  no  fewer  than  forty  miles  of  tubing  were  employed, 
and  the  total  weight  of  the  metal  used  is  approximately  fifty  thousand  tons.  The  rails  run  at  a 
height  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-four  feet  above  high-water — in  other  words,  at  a  height  equal  to 
that  of  the  Albert  Hall  in  London. 

Carnac. — Brittany,  the   home  of  the  Celts  in  France,  is  more  favoured  by  Druid  remains  than 
any  country  in  the  world.      Of  the  sixteen  hundred  menhirs  still  extant  in  France,  over  eight  hundred 


THE    FORTH    BRIDGE.    SCOTLAND. 

This    bridge,  crossing    the    Firth   o(   Forth    and  so  joining    Linlithgowshire    with  the    county  of   Fife,  was    proclaimed  to  be 

"  the  greatest  construction   in   the  world."     It   took  seven  years  to  build  and  cost  £3.000.000  sterling. 


854 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


are  to  be  found  in  Brittany,  and  the  greater  part  of  these  in  the  alignments  around  the  small  village 
of  Carnac,  nine  miles  to  the  south  of  Auray,  which  is  on  the  line  from  Quimper  to  Nantes.  It  is 
computed  that  the  number  of  menhirs  originally  standing  in  this  district  must  have  been  fifteen 
thousand,  though  to-day  less  than  six  hundred  are  left,  either  standing  or  recumbent.  The  area 
comprises  the  five  alignments  of  Menec,  Kermario,  Kerlescant,  Erdeven  and  Ste.  Barbe,  and  extends 
to  Locmariaquer  on  the  M^rbihan,  where  lies  the  largest  known  menhir,  sixty-seven  feet  long  ; 
within  recent  years  it  has  unfortunately  been  broken. 

The  nature  of  these  alignments,  though  thoroughly  studied  by  Mr.  Miln,  an  Englishman,  are  still 
the  object  of  discussion.  The  menhirs  were  used  for  sepulchral  purposes,  but  also,  it  is  believed, 
as  defensive  works.  The  whole  district  around  Carnac  must  have  been  inhabited  by  a  Celtic  tribe, 
and  in  Bessenno,  half  a  mile  to  the  north-east,  the  Romans  built  a  fortified  camp.  Some  of  the 
menhirs  were  erected  after  the  Roman  occupation.  Among  the  alignments  have  been  found 
many  dolmens,  which  differ  from  trilithons  as  at  Stonehenge  in  that  they  are  composed  of  groups 


Photo  hy']  lJ*fiu.'  LlciUanx. 

CARNAC. 

These  '    alignements  "    form    the    most    extensive    Druidical    remains    in    the    world.     It    is    computed    that    there    must    have 

originally  been    15.000  menhirs  or  Druidical  monolithb  erected. 

of  menhirs  surmounted  by  one  or  more  capstones.  These  dolmens  generally  crown  a  cairn  (or 
cam,  whence  Carnac)  or  tumulus  containing  a  burial  chamber.  The  most  noted  of  these  is  Mont 
St.  Michel,  the  only  hill  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  now  crowned  by  a  chapel  from  whence  a  magnifi- 
cent view  is  obtained  over  the  low-lying,  flat  and  mysterious  district.  The  three  alignments  of  Menec 
(place  of  stones),  Kermario  (place  of  the  dead)  and  Kerlescant  (place  of  burning)  can  easily  be 
followed  from  the  summit  of  this  forty-foot-high  hill,  the  upper  portion  of  which  was  constructed 
by  the  Druids  in  order  to  contain  a  hidden  chamber. 

St.  Petersburg. — The  capital  of  all  the  Russias  is  the  youngest  European  capital,  having  been 
founded  by  Peter  the  Great  towards  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century.  It  is  as  young  as  Moscow 
is  old,  and  in  many  respects  the  white  city  on  the  Neva  there  where  it  joins  the  Gulf  of  Finland, 
is  the  most  majestic  and  royal  city  in  the  world.  Essentially  a  residence  for  officialdom,  society 
and  pleasure,  its  broad  avenues  are  gay  with  lights  and  merriment,  and  palaces  line  the  boulevards 
and  the  Neva,  the  latter  frozen  during  five  months  of  the  year. 

The  most  gorgeous  of  these  palaces  is  that  of  the  Czar  commonly  known  as  the  Winter  Palace, 
and  situate  on  the  river  at  its  widest  part.     The  elegant  Palace  Square  precedes  it  on  the  land  side, 


856 


The   Wonders   of   the  World 


and  in  its  centre  stands  the  monument 
erected  in  honour  of  Alexander  I.,  the 
most  noteworthy  feature  of   which    is 
the    rose   granite   column — the   largest 
monolith    in    existence    to-day — forty- 
seven    feet    in    height.      The   building 
itself    is    rectangular    in    shape,    four 
hundred    and    fifty-five    feet   long   by 
three   hundred    and    eighty   feet    wide 
and  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  high, 
and  is  of  a    ruddy-brown   appearance, 
topped  by  an  iron   roof  of  a   reddish 
colour.     It  was  begun  by  the  Czarina 
Anna    Joannowna   in    1731  ;    but   was 
practically  destroyed  a  hundred  years 
later,  and  had  to  be  rebuilt  at  a  cost 
of  twenty-five  milhon  roubles.    Refined 
elegance  is  the  keynote  of  the  Winter 
Palace,  from  the  grand    Ambassador's 
Staircase,  to  the  Nicholas  Hall  or  ball- 
room  with   its   sixteen   huge  windows 
looking   out  on  the  Neva  ;    from  the 
red-velvet  Throne  Room  with  its  silver 
decorations,  to   the   Romanov   Gallery 
with  its  portraits  and  martial  pictures. 
In    the    Treasury    are    preserved    the 
Czar's    regalia,    foremost    among    the 
jewels    being    the    Orlov    diamond    in 
the  imperial  sceptre,  supposed  to  have 
been  the  companion  stone  of  the    Koh-i-noor.     Both    diamonds,  so   runs  the  legend,  formed  the 
eyes  of  a  lion  at   Delhi,  and   one   of   them,    the   Orlov,  was   stolen   by   a   Sepoy  and  sold   to  a 
captain    for   two   thousand  guineas.     By   the   time   it   reached   St.  Petersburg,  not   only  was  its 
price  fabulous,  but  it  had  incidentally  cost  the  reigning  Czar  a  peerage. 

Peterhof. — If  the  Winter  Palace  is  the  official  residence  of  the  Czar,  and  consequently  open  during 
the  height  of  the  St.  Petersburg  season,  Peterhof  is  essentially  a  summer  palace  in  extensive  grounds 
and  beautifully  laid-out  gardens  on  the  southern  shore  of  the  Gulf  of  Finland.  The  original  plan  was 
to  create  a  second  Versailles — a  three-story  building  joined  to  annexes  by  means  of  galleries.  Gilded 
cupolas  in  Russian  style  were,  however,  added,  with  the  result  that  the  French  prototype  has  been 
completely  masked  or  disguised.  The  view  from  the  terrace  of  the  palace  towards  the  Gulf  of  Fin- 
land is  one  of  the  most  enchanting  garden  landscapes  in  the  world.  At  the  foot  of  the  paved,  broad 
walk  is  the  Samson  Fountain  depicting  the  biblical  hon  scene,  spouts  of  water  eighty  feet  high 
spurting  out  of  the  lion's  mouth.  The  basin  is  surrounded  by  forty-five  gilt  statues,  and  encircled 
by  six  broad  steps  of  coloured  marble  in  the  form  of  an  amphitheatre,  down  which  the  water  rushes 
in  glistening  cascades.  The  interior  of  the  palace  contains  a  succession  of  rooms  elaborately 
decorated  and  hung  with  pictures — mostly  by  Russian  masters — and  tapestries,  foremost  among 
which  is  the  Gobelin  in  Peter  the  Great's  Hall.  There  are  three  dependencies  in  the  grounds  : 
the  Eremitage,  famous  for  its  collection  of  Dutch  painters  ;  Monplaisir,  a  Dutch  villa  picturesquely 
situated  near  the  seashore  ;  and  Marley,  a  two-story  house  where  Peter  the  Great  used  to  live, 
and  where  are  kept  many  historical  relics  of  the  most  remarkable  genius  ever  produced  by  Russia. 


From  Slereo  copyright  hvl  Ul-  <-'■  ^yi'ile  Co. 

THE    WINTER     PALACE,     ST.     PETERSBURG. 

The   Palace  is  notable  chiefly  for  its  vastness,  with  a  facade  of  45  5   feel 

facing  the  enormous    square  in  which    20,000    troops    can    manoeuvre    with 

ease.     In   the  centre  is  the   rose  granite  column  erected  to  Alexander  I.,  the 

largest  monolith  in  existence. 


Europe 


857 


The  Church  of  the  Resurrection  of  Christ,  St,  Petersburg.  In  Memoriam  Alexander  II. — 
This  superb  pile  is  erected  over  the  spot  on  which  the  "  Tsar  Liberator  "  fell  mortally  wounded  by 
a  band  of  assassins.  The  church  was  commenced  in  1883,  under  the  reign  of  Alexander  IIL, 
and  consecrated  in  1907,  in  the  thirteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Nicolas  IL 

It  is  built  in  the  ancient  Muscovite  style  of  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Basil  the  Blessed,  but  on  infinitely 
grander  and  more  beautiful  lines,  and  at  a  cost  of  several  milhons  of  roubles.  There  is  probably 
nothing  like  it  in  the  world. 

Externally  the  church  is  an  imposing  mass  of  granite  and  coloured  brick,  surmounted  by  huge 
gilded  and  enamelled  domes. 

Internally  it  is  a  vast  treasure  house  and  a  tremendous  work  of  art. 

In  no  building  in  the  world  has  any  attempt  been  made  to  cover  such  large  surfaces  with  mosaics, 
with  which  the  whole  interior  has  been  treated  from  the  plinths  of  green  marble  to  a  height  of  one 
hundred  and  forty-seven  feet  under  the  principal  cupola.  Italy  and  Greece  have  been  ransacked 
for  rare  and  lovely  marbles  in  different  colours  ;  the  quarries  of  the  Ourals  have  supplied  jasper, 
orletz,  lapis  lazuli  in  vast  quantities.  The  doors  of  the  iconastase  are  of  solid  silver.  The  eikons 
are  draped  in  beautiful  pearls  and  studded  with  costly  gems. 

Amidst  all  these  splendours  there  lies  under  a  splendid  baldachino,  or  canopy,  of  polished  jasper, 
superbly  worked,  a  little  strip  of  the  common  cobble-stones  and  a  short  strip  of  ordinary  iron  railings. 
Some  of  the  stones  are  chipped  by  the  force  of  the  bomb  explosion  which  killed  Alexander  II.,  who 
fell  mortally  wounded  on  this 
very  spot.  This  rough  bit  of 
a  common  street  left  intact 
amidst  such  glowing  splen- 
dours appeals  strongly  to  the 
imagination.  The  first  bomb 
thrown  at  the  imperial  carriage 
missed  its  mark,  but  mortally 
wounded  a  Cossack  of  the 
escort.  The  Emperor  had  but 
to  drive  on  to  reach  his  palace 
in  safety  ;  but  in  spite  of  all 
entreaties  he  insisted  on  leav- 
ing his  carriage  to  attend  to 
his  faithful  Cossack,  when 
the  second  bomb  exploded 
with  deadly  effect.  Thus  un- 
selfishly perished  the  Emperor 
who  abolished  serfdom,  who 
freed  the  Balkans  from  the 
cruel  yoke  of  the  Turks,  and 
who  was  about  to  grant  a 
constitution  to  his  people 
when  he  was  murdered  by 
anarchists. 

It      may     be     truly     said 

that       the       memorial       to       the  From  .•Hereo  copyngfu  oy]  III.  v.. White  Co. 

Emperor     Alexander     IL     is  the   avenue   of   fountains,   peterhof. 

worthy  of  a  great  and  humane      ,     '^^^  -=-  '"  "'''^"  '^"""^  '^"=  ^"f^^  '■''■"'"?^  '*"."=  ""'""' ''.'''  r'^r."-,  "-"t 

•'  ^  leads  the  eye  to  the  famoJs  Samson    fountain,    whos:  jet  ot  water  rises  to    a  tieigtit     ot 

monarch.  eighty  feet. 


858 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


The  Church  of  the  Resurrection  is  lavishly  ht  by  electricity  after  dark,  and  the  spectacle  afforded 
at  an  evening  service,  when  the  priests  in  their  golden  vestments  officiate  to  the  music  of  a  highly- 
trained  choir  of  beautiful  voices,  is  one  of  the  greatest  interest. 

Westminster  Abbey. — London  possesses  the  two  most  famous  churches  in  England — the  one 
dedicated  to  St.  Peter,  the  other  to  St.  Paul.  The  name  of  the  latter  saint  is  famiharly  associated 
with  the  great  cathedral  that  rises  from  the  summit  of  the  hill  overlooking  the  whole  of  the  metro- 
polis ;  but  the  dedication  of  the  Abbey  Church  to  the  honour  of  St.  Peter  is  not  so  generally  known. 
The  great  Westminster  Abbey  stands  by  the  river  side  in  the  low-lying  land  which  was  once  known 

as  Thorney  Isle — the  Terrible  Isle — a 
waste  of  marsh  and  thicket,  and  shunned 
by  all  save  the  wild  animals  who  were 
regardless  of  its  lonely  terrors.  Tradition 
alone  supplies  the  earliest  records  of  the 
Abbey  Church,  and  ascribes  its  founda- 
tion to  King  Lucius  (a.d.  178),  who  here 
built  a  Christian  fane  on  the  site  of  a 
temple  dedicated  to  Apollo ;  but  a  later 
tale  gives  the  credit  of  the  first  church 
to  King  Sebert  of  the  East  Saxons,  who 
was  converted  by  St.  Augustine  about 
the  year  a.d.  604.  A  tomb  supposed  to 
be  his  is  still  to  be  seen  just  outside 
the  ambulatory.  Tradition  has  added 
to  the  story  of  the  consecration  a 
legend  that  is  particularly  beautiful. 
One  stormy  Sunday  night  Edric,  a 
fisherman,  was  casting  his  nets  into  the 
Thames  when  he  was  asked  by  a  stranger 
to  ferry  him  across  the  river.  He  com- 
plied, and  after  landing  his  passenger, 
he  watched  him  make  his  way  to  the 
new  church.  Then  the  whole  air  was 
lilled  with  light,  and  to  the  fisherman's 
astonished  gaze  there  appeared  a  ladder 
i>f  glory  whereon  walked  angels  with 
lighted  tapers.  When  the  stranger  re- 
turned, he  told  him  that  he  was  Peter, 
"the  keeper  of  the  keys  of  Heaven,  who 
had  himself  consecrated  the  church 
erected  to  his  glory. 

But  it  was  Edward  the  Confessor  who  first  set  about  erecting  a  church  which  was  not  to  have  its 
equal  throughout  the  whole  realm  of  England.  He  expended  much  money  upon  the  fabric,  and 
directed  the  work  of  building  the  Abbey  with  great  zeal ;  but  when  he  died,  early  in  a.d.  1066,  only 
the  choir  and  the  transepts  of  the  new  church  had  been  consecrated.  The  work  then  languished, 
and  it  was  not  until  the  reign  of  Henry  III.  that  building  was  renewed.  "  Renewed,"  however, 
is  scarcely  the  correct  term,  for  Henry  destroyed  the  previous  building  and  re-erected  a  church  more 
in  accord  with  the  taste  of  his  time.  Henry's  aim  was  certainly  to  vie  with,  or  even  excel,  the  work  of 
the  great  French  cathedrals,  such  as  Beauvais  or  Chartres  ;  but  national  and  insular  characteristics 
had  to  be  reckoned  with,  and  the  ultimate  style  of  the  architecture  was  Early  English.     This  is  a 


i'ftola  bi/'\ 

WESTMINSTER    ABBEY. 
Perhaps  this    is    the    most    sacred    spot    ii 


IT/te  J'hotochrom  Co.  Ltd. 
LONDON. 


England,  for  the  splendid 
fane  is  intimately  connected  with  her  life-story,  and  many  of  her  most 
famous  sovereigns  and  most  honoured  sons  are  buried  here.  Further- 
more, the  Abbey  is  a  splendid  specimen  of   Early   English  architecture. 


I-hoto  supplied  6j/]  {.The  Pholochrom  Co.  Ltd. 

HENRY    VII. 'S    CHAPEL.    WESTMINSTER    ABBEY. 
From  of  old  this    ch»pel    has    betn    .urnamed  "  The  Wonder  of    the  World."       Built  by  Henry  VII.  to  propitiate  his  subject., 
it  became    the    resting-place    of    himself    and    succeeding    sovereigns.     It 
ticularly  noted  for  its  ceiling  of  "fan-tracery." 


the    chapel    of    the    Knights  of    the   Bath,  and    is    par- 


Europe 


86 1 


branch  of  perpendicular  Gothic,  and  very  lovely  it  is.  Ornament  takes  only  a  second  part  in  the 
plan  of  the  building,  where  everything  is  subservient  to  the  beauty  of  line  and  impressive  loftiness. 
But  a  long  time  was  to  elapse  before  the  building  was  completed  ;  the  greater  part  of  the  nave  was 
built  in  the  reign  of  Henry  V.,  and  only  towards  the  latter  part  of  the  reign  of  Henry  VII.  did  the 
Abbey,  such  as  we  know  it,  approach  completion.  To  this  King  belongs  the  glory  of  the  beautiful 
foundation  that  bears  his  name.  He  intended  the  chapel  of  Henry  VII.  to  be  worthy  of  the  royal 
dust  it  was  to  enclose.  Very  worthy  indeed  it  is.  Built  on  the  site  of  Henry  III.'s  Lady  Chapel, 
which  was  pulled  down  in  order  to  be  supplanted  by  this  architectural  jewel,  it  obtained,  on  account 
of  its  beauty  and  the  cunning  works  it  was  adorned  with  in  bronze  and  marble  and  carved  wood, 
the  well-merited  title  of  "  The  Wonder  of  the  World."  The  dehcate  fan  tracery  of  the  roof  is  of  un- 
paralleled beauty  and  splendour,  and  the  great  bronze 
entrance-gates  can  scarcely  be  surpassed  for  skill  of 
design  and  workmanship.  Very  brief  mention  can  only 
be  made  here  of  the  nave  of  Westminster  Abbey  with 
its  triforium  gallery,  which  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
features  of  this  most  beautiful  church ;  of  the  sacrarium, 
with  its  wonderful  mosaic  pavement  ;  the  St.  Edward's 
Chapel,  known  also  as  the  Chapel  of  the  Kings  ;  the 
ambulatory  ;  the  cloisters — indeed,  nothing  here  should 
pass  unnoticed,  for  all  are  worthy  of  this  most  glorious 
building  of  which  they  form  the  parts.  Westminster 
Abbey  bears  witness  to  the  love  and  zeal  of  many 
generations  of  Englishmen.  Above  and  beyond  all, 
its  fabric  bears  the  impress  of  careful  planning  and 
attention  to  detail,  of  veneration  for  past  tradition 
and  pride  in  present  greatness — in  a  word,  of  that 
thoroughness  and  unity  which  are  the  acknowledged 
attributes  of  Englishmen. 

Dobsina. — Dobsina,  an  insignificant  mining  town  in 
the  Hungarian  Erzgebirge,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
to  the  north  of  Buda-Pest,  sprang  into  celebrity  one 
day  in  the  seventies  of  last  century  when  a  mining 
engineer  discovered  in  the  adjacent  valley  of  Stracennae 
the  largest  ice-cavern  in  Europe,  containing  a  storage 
of  ice  calculated  at  more  than  six  million  cubic  feet. 
That  was  forty  years  ago  ;  to-day  the  village  is  large 
on  the  map,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  cavern  a  health 
and  pleasure  resort  with  first-class  hotels  has  sprang  up,  and  tourists  leave  Dobschau  (or  Dobsina) 
with  its  iron,  cobalt  and  nickel  mines,  and  rush  northwards  through  the  wild  and  romantic  Straczine 
valley  to  the  cavern,  the  portal  of  which  is  reached  along  a  road  among  pine-trees  at  an  altitude 
of  over  two  thousand  feet.  During  the  summer  months  the  cavern  is  lighted  by  electricity,  and 
the  effect  of  the  artificial  light  shimmering  among  resplendent  stalactites  or  illuminating  ice-walls 
of  crystalline  purity  is  dreamlike  in  its  weird  beauty.  The  total  area  of  the  cavern  is  ten  thousand 
square  yards,  of  which  eight  thousand  square  yards  are  covered  with  ice  formations  of  varied  shape. 

On  entering  the  Eishohle  the  visitor  gains  the  first  hall,  called  the  Eissalon,  eleven  yards  high 
by  one  huadred  and  twenty  long  and  thirty-five  to  sixty  wide.  The  average  temperature  is  —3°  C, 
though  in  summer,  when  the  outside  temperature  rises  to  twenty-two  degrees  Celsius,  the  ther- 
mometer in  the  interior  climbs  to  above  freezing-point.  In  winter,  on  the  other  hand,  when  the 
outside    temperature  has  been  known  to  descend  to   —25°  C,  the  thermometer  in  the  interior 


Photo  by']  \_tt.  /-.  I-Aseninann. 

AN     ICE    STALACTITE    IN    THE    CAVERNS 

OF    DOBSINA. 


862 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Photo  iy\ 


THE    RAMPARTS    OF    CARCASSONNE. 


[Neurdnn  I'reres. 


registered  on  the  same  day  only  —  8°  C.  During  the  hottest  months  of  the  year  the  surface  of  the 
ice  in  the  cavern  melts  slightly,  and  the  floor  is  apt  to  be  covered  with  water,  which  freezes,  however, 
in  the  following  winter.  Owing  to  this  circumstance,  the  ice  stalactites  and  columns  which  reach 
from  the  ceiling,  partly  covered  with  ice  and  partly  bare,  to  the  floor,  are  in  a  state  of  continual 
change,  but  their  beauty  is  by  no  means  impaired  thereby.  From  the  upper  hall,  the  area  of  which 
is  roughly  five  thousand  square  yards,  one  hundred  and  forty-five  ice-hewn  steps  lead  through  an 
ice-corridor  to  the  lower  hall,  two  hundred  yards  long,  at  the  further  end  of  which  rises  a  wall  of 
transparent  ice  twenty-five  yards  high.  The  view  of  this  immense  frozen  salon  is  broken  by  three 
gigantic  columns,  each  with  a  diameter  varying  from  two  to  four  yards.  Organ  formations  of  solid 
ice  are  to  be  found  in  both  halls,  those  on  the  upper  story  being  the  most  remarkable  for  their 
size.  Hills  and  mounds  of  crystalline  ice,  stalactites  flashing  with  a  thousand  gems,  walls  of  a  blue 
transparency,  and  snow-white  archways  of  frozen  drops,  are  among  the  phenomena  in  this  wonderful 
cave  in  the  Hungarian  mountains. 

Carcassonne. — The  history  of  this  ancient  town  goes  back  to  a  very  early  date.  There  was  a 
town  of  some  importance  here  at  the  time  of  Caesar's  invasion  of  Gaul.  Situated  in  the  extreme  south, 
it  occupies  a  commanding  position  on  either  bank  of  the  river  Aude.  The  old  town  is  built  on  a 
hill,  and  is  surrounded  by  a  double  line  of  ramparts,  with  towers,  dating  from  the  thirteenth  century, 
which  gives  it  still  the  aspect  of  a  mediaeval  fortress.     Its  castle  dates  from  the  eleventh  and  twelfth 


INeurdein  Fi-eres, 


ANOTHER    VIEW    OF    THE    RAMPARTS    OF    CARCASSONNE. 


Europe 


863 


centuries.  The  so-called  "  new 
town  "  dates  from  the  thirteenth 
century.  In  1262  the  city  rose 
up  in  rebeUion  against  the  royal 
authority,  an  act  of  indepen- 
dence which  Philip  Augustus  put 
down  with  a  strong  hand.  On 
the  fall  of  the  city  the  principal 
inhabitants  were  expelled,  but 
were  afterwards  given  permis- 
sion to  remain  in  the  district, 
and  they  founded  a  settlement 
on  the  other  (the  left)  bank  of 
the  river.  This  part  of  the 
town  was  fortified  in  the  four- 
teenth century  ;  the  earthworl^s 
can  still  be  traced.  Carcas- 
sonne has  a  sensational  history. 
It  was  a  stronghold  of  the 
Visigoths,  and  was  held  by  them 
in  face  of  repeated  attacks  from 
the  Franks.  But  in  a. d.  724  the 
Saracens  succeeded  in  expelling 
them  and  took  possession  of  the 
town.  They  in  turn  were  de- 
feated and  driven  out  by  Charles 
Martel.  From  the  ninth  cen- 
tury the  Counts  of  Carcassonne 
were  independent  princes  ;  but 
in  the  thirteenth  century  the  ad- 
herence of  the  reigning  Count, 
Raymond  Roger,  to  the  cause 
of  the  Albigenses  brought  about 
the  downfall  of  his  house. 
Simon  de  Montfort  brought  his 
Crusaders  to  the  gates  of  Car- 
cassonne in  1209,  and  Count 
Raymond  was  compelled  to 
yield.     He  died  in  captivity. 

The  Cathedral  of  St.  Nazaire 
in  the  old  town  is  principally 
of  eleventh  century  workman- 
ship. The  churches  of  Provence 
are  noted  for  the  pointed-barrel 
vaulting  of  their  naves,  but  the 
finest  of  all  is  that  at  Carcas- 
sonne, dating  from  a.d.  1090. 

There  are  also  some  magni- 
ficent stained  glass  windows. 


Photo  byl  \_NeurdHn  Freres. 

CARCASSONNE. 

The  Cite,  or  old  town,  is  the  most  perfect  example  in  existence  of  a  mediaeval 
fortress  town.  It  has  a  double  line  of  fortifications  with  fifty  round  towers  and 
is  dominated  by  a  citadel.     The  outer  belt  of  ramparts  extends  for  over  1,600  yards. 


864 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Pisa, — Pisa  is  one  of  the  most  notable  cities  in  Italy,  and,  indeed,  in  the  whole  of  Europe. 
Not  only  does  she  to-day  boast  a  group  of  architectural  monuments  that  are  unique  for  magnificence 
and  for  the  more  technical  qualities  of  style  ;  but  she  has  a  history  of  which-  she  may  be 
justly  proud. 

The  name  of  Pisa  is  writ  large  on  the  scroll  of  fame  as  a  small  but  proud  Republic,  strong  in  the 
valour  and  hardihood  and  fearlessness  of  her  citizens,  daring  to  declare  her  independence  when 
most  of  the  Christian  world  was  cringing  at  the  foot  of  either  Pope  or  Emperor,  and  yet  in  those 
troublous  times  increasing  in  commercial  prosperity  and  wealth  till  she  became  a  fair  and  noble 
city  spread  out  upon  the  banks  of  the  Arno  amongst  the  Tuscan  hills,  a  city  which  kings  delighted 
to  honour,  with  a  cathedral  that  was  found  worthy  to  witness  the  coronation  of  a  Pope.  It  was 
Pisa  who  checked  the  advance  of  the  Saracens  when  they  threatened  to  overrun  Europe,  and  it 
was  Pisa  who  furnished  the  Emperors  with  galleys  and  mariners  to  transport  the  Crusaders  to  the 
Holy  Land.  Not  alone  could  she  convey  to  the  East  the  great  hosts  who  sought  to  deliver  Jerusalem 
from  the  Infidels  ;  but  her  name  ranks  with  Venice  and  Genoa  in  the  great  enterprise,  while  one  of  her 
bishops,  Daimbert,  became  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem.  Such  stirring  times  cannot  be  passed  without 
leaving  their  mark  on  the  towns  which  witnessed  them,  and  when  we  of  to-day  are  considering  the 
monuments  which  still  remain,  we  must  needs  be  mindful  of  that  glorious  past,  for  it  is  that  past 
which  has  raised  the  marble  columns  and  carved  white  stone  and  has  consecrated  the  glorious  fabric 
just  as  the  Italian  sun  has  penetrated  into  the  substance  of  the  marble,  so  that  it  is  no  longer  white 
and  dead,  but  glowing  and  creamy  gold.  The  Cathedral  of  Pisa,  of  which  the  Campanile  forms  a  part, 
is  so  situated  that  its  whole  beauty  is  revealed  to  the  onlooker  in  the  first  glance.  The  streets  of 
the  old  town  are  quiet  and  grey  and  narrow,  with  great  shadows  falling  across  the  road  and  high 
houses  on  either  side,   and  the  Via  Solferino  is  by  no  means  a  wide  street,  so  that   only  as   one 


Photo  hy]  INeicton  it  Co. 

THE    BAPTISTERY    AND     IHE    CATHEDRAL,    WITH    THE    LEANING    TOWER.    PISA. 

All  these  buildings  are  of  the  purest    Carrara    marble,  which    shows    off    the    beauty  of    the    Lombard    Gothic    architecture 

to  perfection. 


';««^«l«ll 


"'^••.> 


I13y  the  Photochrom  Co.,  Ltd. 


THE    LEANING    TOWER    OF    PISA. 


The  chief  beauty  of  this  Campanile  or  Bell  Tower,  lies,  not  in  its  peculiar  slant  (which  is  due  to  the  instability  of  the  subsoil 
rather  than  to  any  pre-conceived  idea  of  the  Architect),  but  in  the  beautiful  colonnaded  galleries  which  rise  tier  upon  tier  to  the 
full  height  of  the  Tower.  The  carrara  marble  of  which  they  are  built  has  a  transparency  which  causes  it  to  glow  in  the 
bright  sunlight.    In  full  noon  it  is  of  crystal  brilliancy,  but  when  flooded  with  the  glory  of  the  Italian  sunset  it  takes  on  all 

the   rich  colouring  and  tints  of  the  sky. 


Europe 


865 


approaches  its  termination  can  any  vista  of  the  great  Piazza  be  obtained.  But  pass  quickly  to 
the  end  of  the  street  and  the  first  impression  will  not  easily  be  forgotten.  The  sunlight  floods  over 
the  great  Piazza  in  dazzling  contrast  to  the  shadows  of  the  roadways.  Thick  green  grass  covers  the 
whole  extent  of  the  vast  square  (a  rare  sight  in  Italy,  where  most  ot  the  cathedrals  and  beautiful 
churches  arc  hidden  away  in  the  dingiest  parts  of  the  mouldering  cities  and  towns),  and  there  are 
the  four  great  buildings  of  Pisa,  the  Duomo  or  Cathedral,  the  Campanile  or  Leaning  Tower,  the 
Campo  Santo  and  the  Baptistery,  all  built  of  the  marble  taken  from  the  quarries  not  far  distant, 
which  is  world-famous  for  its  whiteness.  But  these  buildings  are  old  and  the  more  beautiful  for 
the  years  that  are  gone,  and  have  become  so  much  a  part  of  the  surroundings  that  they  appear  to 
be  built  of  pure  sunlight. 

The  Duomo  is  of  immense  proportions  and,  externally  at  least,  of  very  beautiful  design.  It  is 
built  in  the  shape  of  a  Latin  cross  ;  the  nave  is  three  hundred  and  twelve  feet  long  and  at  the  east 
end  terminates  in  an  apsidal  choir  ;  the  transepts  are  of  great  length  (three  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  feet),  and  so  great  is  their  size  that  they  have  aisles.  At  the  juncture  of  the  four  arms  of  the 
cross  is  an  elliptical  dome  ornamented  with  a  ring  of  delicate  marble  arches.  But  the  chief  feature 
of  the  building  is  the  exterior  ornamentation.  This  is  effected  by  means  of  colonnades  of  arches 
surrounding  the  whole  of  the  building.  For  some  distance  from  the  ground  these  arches  are  of 
considerable  size  and  far  apart ;  but  on  the  next  storey  they  diminish  in  size,  a  factor  that  materially 
adds  to  the  delicacy  of  their  design.  The  Leaning  Tower  is  treated  in  the  same  way,  but  here  the 
arcaded  galleries  stand  out  farther  from  the  main  structure,  and  are  therefore  more  apparent.  In 
the  Cathedral  these  arcades  are  most  effective  on  the  west  front  and  round  the  apse.  On  the  former 
facade  are  fifty-eight  pillars,  which  rise  tier  upon  tier  to  the  roof.     Their  beauty  is  further  thrown 


From  Klfreo  npyright  hi/-]  ^"-  ^-  "'''''''  ^''• 

THE    DUOMO.    PISA. 
This    most    beautiful    building  is  built  o(   the  white    marble    brought    (rem  the  quarries    not    far    distant.     It  is  in  the  Tuscan- 
Romanesque    style,  and  the  view  here  given  shows  the  beautiful    facade    with  its  lifly-eight    colonnetles.       The  great   bronze  west 
doors  were  cast    by   Giovanni   da    Bologna. 

56 


866 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


into  relief  by  the  great  bronze  doors,  which,  although  unable  to  vie  with  the  celebrated  bronze-work 
at  Florence,  are  themselves  of  great  beauty.  They  replace  some  of  much  older  date  which  were 
destroyed  in  the  fire  of  1596,  and  are  the  work  of  Giovanni  da  Bologna;  for,  advanced  as  were  the 
Pisans  in  the  art  of  stone  sculpture,  they  were  unequal  to  the  rival  artists  of  the  great  Italian  centres 
of  culture  in  painting  and  metal-work.  In  sculpture  two  names  stand  out  pre-eminent — Nicolo 
Pisano  and  Giovanni  Pisano.  his  son.  To  the  greatness  of  the  father  the  hexagonal  pulpit  stands  as  a 
splendid  memorial,  while  Giovanni  is  remembered  by  the  pulpit  in  the  Cathedral.  Both  are  master- 
pieces and  are  built  up  on  the  same  designs,  but  they  differ  co-^siderably  in  style  and  manner  of 
execution,  th3  work  of  Nicolo  showing  a  severity  and  digiity  which  ii  the  work  of  his  son  gives 
place  to  a  tenderness  and  a  suavity  of  line  and  marks  out  the  different  temperaments  of  the  two 


Photo  hy'\ 


THE     CATACO.MBS    OF     THE     CAPPUCCINI.     PALERMO. 


{^Atidei'Mu. 


The  custom  of  this  burial    was  instituted  to  allow  the  bodies  of  the  wealthy  to  be  laid  in  the  sacred  earth  brought  from  Palestine 
When  the  bodies  were  cured  they  were  taken  out  to  make  room  for  others  and  stored  away  as  in  the  illustration. 

men,  who  were  each  of  them  influenced  by  the  ideas  of  the  different  ages  in  which  they  lived.  Perhaps 
the  greater  refinement  of  Giovanni's  work  is  due  to  the  influence  of  Giotto,  the  follower  of  St.  Francis 
of  Assisi,  and  so  indirectly  to  his  teaching. 

But  Httle  mention  has  been  made  of  the  Baptistery,  which  is  extremely  beautiful  and  is  circular 
in  shape,  roofed  by  a  curious  and  somewhat  eastern  cupola,  which  meets  the  upstanding  walls  on 
a  series  of  Gothic  arches.  Sculpture  and  rare  marbles  cleverly  mingled  add  to  the  wealth  of 
decoration.  Inside  is  a  circle  of  marble  columns  which  enclose  the  sanctuary  and  support  a  second 
circle  of  pilasters,  which  in  their  turn  support  the  roof.  Each  of  these  capitals  is  ornamented. 
There  is  besides  a  magnificent  octagonal  font  raised  on  a  platform  above  the  pavement.  It  is 
beautiful  with  delicate  mosaic,  and  was  sculptured  by  Guido  Bigarelli  da  Como  in  1246. 

The  Tower  of  Pisa  is  too  well  known  to  need  much  description.  Its  propensity  to  lean  is  (as 
Dickens  writes  in  his  "  Travels  in  Italy  ")  "as  much  as  the  most  sanguine  tourist  could  desire." 
The  exact  cause  of  this  slant  has  for  centuries  been  a  matter  of  conjecture,  but  authorities  are  now 


868 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


agreed  that  it  is  due  to  the  unstable  foundation  on  which  the  Tower  was  erected.  For  this  cause 
the  builders  were  obliged  to  rectify  the  instability  of  the  soil,  but  were  unable  to  restore  the  building 
to  the  perpendicular.  One  great  advantage  was  in  later  years  to  be  derived  from  this  misadventure. 
The  great  Galileo,  who  for  some  time  lived  in  Pisa,  was  by  means  of  the  Leaning  Tower  enabled  to 
work  out  his  experiments  in  gravitation. 

The   Catacombs   of  the   Cappuccini  at  Palermo.  —This  is  one  of  the  most  surprising  sights  in 

Sicily,  infinitely  better  than  the  cata- 
comb of  the  Cappuccini  in  Rome,  be- 
cause in  these  clean,  airy,  un-smelling 
vaults  yoti  see  the  meaning  of  the 
Cappuccini  mummies.  Here  in  Palermo 
the  Admiral  of  Aragon  brought  a  ship- 
load of  earth  from  Palestine  for  the 
Cappuccini  monks.  The  corpses  of 
the  rich  were  buried  in  the  sacred 
earth  until  they  were  cured,  and  were 
then  taken  out  to  make  room  for 
others.  They  were  dressed  in  the  robes 
of  state  which  they  had  worn  in  their 
lives  ;  their  hands  and  feet  were  bound 
together  tightly  with  cords,  partly  as 
an  attitude  of  humility,  but  also,  doubt- 
less, to  keep  the  bodies  stiff  and  in 
position  ;  and,  as  they  were  erected  on 
the  sides  of  the  vault  a  century  or  two 
ago,  so  you  may  see  them,  very  well 
preserved.  Some — perhaps  those  who 
did  not  pay  so  much — were  put  in 
chests  covered  with  crimson  velvet  in- 
stead of  being  hung  on  the  walls,  and 
some  effected  a  compromise  by  having 
the  top  of  the  chest  transparent.  This 
method  of  interment  is  not  permitted 
any  more  in  Palermo,  but  these  cardi- 
nals and  princes  and  duchesses  make  a 
brave  spectacle  for  a  tourist's  holiday. 
The  Cloister  of  Monreale. — The 
Arabo-Norman  Cloister  of  Monreale 
rivals  the  temples  of  Girgenti  and 
Segesta  and  the  theatre  of  Taormina 
for  the  crown  of  beauty  in  Sicily.  It 
is  the  largest  cloister  in  Italy,  sur- 
rounded by  two  hundred  pairs  of 
slender  columns,  many  of  them  with  capitals  sculptured  with  legends  incomparably  carved.  In 
one  corner  is  a  Moorish  fountain  whose  beauty  baffles  description.  The  cloister  is  filled  with  a 
deep  sward,  starred  with  orchids  and  anemones.  The  Cathedral  behind  it  contains  seventy 
thousand  square  feet  of  twelfth-century  mosaics,  among  the  finest  in  the  world,  and  the  view 
from  its  back  over  the  orange  groves  of  the  Concha  d'Oro  is  the  richest  in  Sicily. 

Messina,  the  Earthquake  City). — Messina  is  a  city  that  never  had  its  due  from  the  tourist  and 


Photo  hy  pfnitission  o/]  [^//^-.v  Lorrini'T,  author  of  "  liy  tlw  Waicrs  of  ^kili 

THE    CAPPELLA     PALATINA. 

"  The  Jewel  of  Sicily."  Perhaps  the  most  perfect  casket  of  mosaic 
work  in  the  world.  The  walls  are  inlaid  with  rarest  marbles  and  the 
arches  are  supported  on  most  beautiful  columns  of  cipoUino  and  porphyry. 


Europe 


869 


Photo  hy'] 


of  "Th, 


[Mm.  Cii/lnH: 
Earthquake  City  "  after  the  disaster. 

the  most  beautiful  street  in  the 


MESSINA, 
arthquake  City 


now  never  can  have.     It   was  the   fashion  to 

say  that  if  a  visitor   to   Sicily   saw  Taormina. 

Palermo,   Syracuse    and    Girgenti    he    saw    all 

that    he    need    see    unless    he    threw    in    the 

Temple  of  Segesta.     Catania  and  Messina  were 

negligible  quantities,  though  Catania,  if  he  had 

known  it,  was  the  best  city  in  Sicily  for  buying 

curios,    and   Messina   as    an    artist's    city    had 

hardly  a  superior  in  the  island.     Messina  before 

the    earthquake    consisted  of    about   four  long 

streets  running  round  the  circumference  of  its 

hills,  with  very  steep  streets,  frankly  called  the 

Torrent   of   S.  Francesco    and   so   on,  running 

down  from  the  hill-tops  to  the  sea.    The  bottom 

of  the  long  streets  constituted  the  quay  of  the 

sickle-shaped   harbour,    and   from    it    rose   the 

celebrated   Palazzata,    or   crescent    of    palaces. 

three  stories  high,  adorned  with  columns  like  a  classical  temple 

world  seen  from  the  harbour. 

Above  this  were  the  two  chief  modern  streets  which  embodied  some  of  the  best  old  churches — 

the  glorious  Cathedral,  the  Greek  church,  the  little  Byzantine  church  which  encrusted  the  Temple 

of  Neptune,  the  ruinous  Sicilian-Gothic  church  of  the  Teutonic  knights.     Above  them  was  the  Street 

of  the  Monasteries,  beloved  by  every  artist,  for  it  was  full  of  fifteenth-century  doorways  which  had 

belonged  to  these  monasteries,  and  full  of  gardens.     And  above  it,  outside  the  museum,  stood  the 

Gothic  monastery  of  S.  Gregorio,  cleft  from  base  to  summit  by  two  previous  earthquakes  sent  to 

give  warning  of  the  wrath  to  come.     From  the  terrace  of  S.  Gregorio,  or  the  gigantic  ramparts  of 

King  Roger's  Castle,  there  were  views  of  unparalleled  beauty  over  castle-crowned  mountains,  and 

the  blue  strait  with  its  sword-fish  harpooners,  and  the  rough  mountains  of  Calabria  beyond. 

The  earthquake  smote  Messina  till  the  very  outlines  of  the  streets  were  obliterated,  and  no  one 

could  say  where  stood  the  Street  of  the  Monasteries  or  this  or  that  Torrent.     Halves  of  houses  were 

thrown  down,  showing  the  furniture  standing  on  the  other  halves  as  if  they  had  been  shelves ;  in 

other  houses  roofs  fell  through  every  story  to  the  cellars,  leaving  the  walls  intact  and  the  inhabitants 

crushed  in  la\'ers.  Nothing  stood  the  shock 
except  the  ancient  buildings  which  had  stood 
the  great  earthquake  of  1783  and  others  earlier, 
such  as  portions  of  the  Cathedral,  portions  of 
the  facade  of  the  Palazzata.  and  the  statue  of 
Neptune,  the  god  of  earthquakes,  which  was 
left  absolutely  uninjured,  though  it  has  looked 
top-heavy  always.  Not  a  piece  was  broken 
of  the  famous  majolica  drug-jars  made  for  the 
Hospital  of  Messina  nearly  four  hundred  \'ears 
ago  in  the  ateliers  of  Urbino.  Our  pictures 
represent  the  back  of  the  Palazzata  and  one  of 
the  houses  which  were  cut  in  half. 

TTie  Temple  of  Concord  at  Girgenti. — This  is 
really  much  more  perfect  than  the  Temple  of 
Segesta.  because  its  inside  is  complete — more 
complete   than   any  Greek  temple  except   the 


Pholo  hy] 


Th. 


MESSINA, 
ruined  houses  of   the   famous   Palazzata. 


[irm.  Cm  lack. 


8/0 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Temple  of  Theseus  at  Athens.  In  the  Middle  Ages  it  was  the  Church  of  St.  Gregor}?  of  the  Turnips. 
The  Temple  of  Juno  is  also  fairly  perfect,  and  the  fragment  of  the  Temple  of  Castor  and  Pollux 
is  unsurpassed  in  picturesqueness.  These  temples  of  Girgenti  have  an  incomparable  site.  They 
stand  on  a  rocky  terrace  half-way  between  the  city  and  the  sea,  on  the  sky-line.  The  stone  of  which 
they  are  built  is  quite  golden.  Girgenti's  ancient  name  was  Acragas,  and  it  was  known  throughout 
the  Greek  world  as  "  the  Splendid  City,"     Like  Selinunte,  it  was  destroyed  by  the  Carthaginians  at 

the  end  of  the  fifth  century  B.C.,  and  its  ruins 
received  little  attention  till  the  latter  part  of 
the  last  century.  Its  rubbish-heaps  and  graves 
have  therefore  yielded  an  immense  quantity 
of  terra-cotta  figures  of  the  fifth  century  B.C., 
but  not  so  beautiful  as  the  Tanagra  figures. 

The  Temple  of  Segesta. — Sicily  has  forty 
Greek  temples,  though  some  of  them  are 
almost  past  recognition.  Of  these  the  Temple 
of  Segesta  and  two  at  Girgenti  are  far  the 
best,  except  the  great  Temple  of  Athena  at 
Syracuse,  which  stands  almost  entire,  built 
into  the  Cathedral.  Segesta  is  the  most  per- 
fect to  the  outward  eye,  though  it  is  a  mere 
shell  which  was  never  finished.  Unlike  most 
Greek  temples,  it  is  inland,  high  up  on  a 
mountain.  To  visit  it,  Mr.  Leader  Williams, 
the  Thomas  Cook  of  Sicily,  runs  special  trains 
from  Palermo.  This  is  the  only  way  it  can 
be  visited  in  a  day,  and  the  inn  of  the  neigh- 
bouring town,  Calatafimi,  where  Garibaldi 
won  his  famous  victory,  disregards  foreigners. 
Segesta  also  has  a  fine  Graeco- Roman  theatre 
with  a  view  of  the  temple. 

SzUnunte,  the  SicHian  Babylon. — This  is, 
after  the  handiwork  of  the  earthquake  at 
Messina,  the  most  extraordinary  sight  in 
Sicily,  for  the  Carthaginians  and  the  earth- 
quakes between  them  threw  down  the  third 
city  of  Sicily  in  such  fragments  that  it  looks 
like  a  sea  of  fallen  walls  and  broken  columns. 
Two  of  the  temples  display  evidently  the 
handiwork  of  the  earthquake,  for  their  columns 
are  thrown  down  almost  uninjured  in  such 
as  "  The  Splendid  City."  ^^^^  j-^^g  j.jjg^|.  j^jjy  Amerlcau  city  would  put 

them  up  again  in  a  month.  The  stones  look,  in  fact,  as  if  they  had  been  carefully  arranged  for 
re-erection.  One  of  the  temples  of  Selinunte  was  the  largest  Greek  temple  ever  built.  The  temple 
shown  in  the  picture  is  one  of  the  more  perfect  ones  ;  the  grooves  of  its  columns  are  big  enough  for 
a  man  to  stand  in.  Selinunte  has  also  a  well-preserved  citadel  and  a  good  street  of  Greek  houses, 
a  sort  of  very  ruinous  Greek  Pompeii.  In  the  spring,  between  the  temples  is  the  most  glorious  carpet 
of  wild  flowers  to  be  found  in  Sicily,  the  land  of  Proserpine. 

Iceland. — This   bare    and   desolate  island,  with  its  thirty-nine  thousand  two    hundred   square 
miles  of  barren  volcanic  rock,  lies  on  the  edge  of  the  Arctic  Circle,  about  five  hundred  miles  north  of 


J'/iolii  by  p/'r/ui^jiwu  0/  MU^  Ijjrriiiier,  author  of  *'  By  Vie  Waters  of  Sicily" 

THE   TEMPLE   OF   CASTOR   AND    POLLUX,   GIRGENTL 

The    temples    ol    ancient     Acragas    stand    on    a    rocky     terrace 
between    the    city    and    the    sea.     They    gave    Girgenti  its  renown 


I'hota  hj/'i 


[Tlif  I'h  'tofhrom  Co.  Ltd, 


I'holo  (.!/] 

THE    TEMPLE    OF    CONCORD.    GIRGENTI.     AND 

Tne  Temple  of  Girgenti   in   the  upper  picture  is  one  of  the  most  perfect   i 

its  imperfect   shell  is  one  of   the  noblest  extant  specimens  of  pure   Doric  architecture 


{AndrrMu. 
THE    TEMPLE    OF    SEGESTA. 
Sicily.     The  lower  temple  was  never  finished,  but 


872 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


Scotland  and  six  hundred  from 
Norway.  It  is  three  hundred 
miles  in  length  and  two  hun- 
dred broad  at  its  widest.  Its 
whole  geological  formation  is 
volcanic,  and  herein  lies  its 
chief  interest  for  the  ex- 
plorer. Thrown  up  during 
the  tremendous  upheavals  of 
a  world  in  the  making,  its 
bare  rocks  rear  naked  crests 
into  the  clear  air  of  the  far 
north,  whose  chill  purity  pre- 
sents so  great  a  contrast  to 
the  restless  subterranean  fires 
that  still  disturb  the  peace 
of  this  barren  land  at  fre- 
quent intervals.  Upon  a 
foundation  of  palagonite  tufa 
rise  endless  plateaus  of  basalt 
and  mountains  of  trachyte 
and  other  volcanic  ejections. 
In  Iceland,  and  in  the  neigh- 
bouring Faroe  Islands,  the 
lavas  lie  in  regular  parallel 
strata  or  terraces  whose  lines 
can  be  traced  for  miles.  The 
first  view  of  the  Faroes  is  very 
impressive.  One  can  trace  the 
dip  and  trend  of  ancient  lava 
flows  from  one  island  to  an- 
other, and  see  how  the  force 
of  the  Atlantic  breakers  that 
beat  upon  this  cruel  coast  has 
broken  down  the  connecting 
links  formed  between  one  and 
another.  There  is  the  dome-shaped  block  of  the  Lille  Dimon  (Little  Diamond),  the  perpendicular 
rock  walls  of  Skuo,  and  on  entering  the  fjord  that  leads  to  the  seaport  of  Trangisvaag,  on  the 
Isle  of  Sudero,  a  splendid  view  of  cliff  and  mountain  is  obtained.  These  mountains  are 
wonderful  specimens  of  jointed  basalt  ;  the  lava  flows  can  be  traced  for  miles  in  lines  that  are 
almost  horizontal.  Here,  too,  the  cloud-effects  are  peculiarly  beautiful  ;  the  warm  sea  airs  of  the 
Atlantic  are  caught  and  condensed  upon  these  grim  grey  cliffs  and  pass  along  their  faces  in  wreaths 
and  feathers  of  pale  vapour. 

Iceland  is  rich  in  treasures  for  the  geologist.  Here  he  can  see  the  work  of  ice  and  weather. 
Volcanic  fires  and  the  erosion  of  water  together  have  carved  out  a  landscape  unique,  and  instinct 
with  an  awful  grandeur.  Glaciated  lava,  ropy  lavas,  lava  that  is  grassed  over  and  fertile,  lava  in 
hummocks  on  which  no  living  plant  can  find  a  home,  is  here  to  be  seen.  And  volcanic  vents,  fissures 
and  cones,  great  boulders  and  "  perched  blocks  "  poised  in  impossible  situations,  and  geysers  and 
hot  springs  for  ever  at  work. 


From  .Stereo  i'opyri(jht  hy'\ 


lUwlericoutl  «(■  Utiderirooti. 


THE     RUINS    OF    SELINUNTE. 

If  only  the  Carthaginians  and  the  earthquakes  had  spared  these  splendid  ruins. 
Selinunte  would  possess  the  largest  Greek  temple  in  the  world  :  as  it  is.  the  few 
standing  and  broken   columns  show   the  gigantic  proportions. 


Europe 


873 


Hecla  is  its  greatest  fire- mountain,  at  present  sleeping  like  a  monster  exhausted,  but  not  to  be 
trusted  for  all  its  years  of  quiescence.  There  are  eighteen  recorded  eruptions,  the  last  in  the  middle 
of  the  last  century,  but  the  intervals  have  always  varied  greatly,  from  five  to  as  much  as  seventy 
years.  Its  height,  which  is  about  five  thousand  feet,  varies  with  every  eruption ;  sometimes  its 
upper  cone  has  been  completely  blown  away,  and  at  others  has  been  built  up  anew  of  the  material 
ejected  from  its  fiery  heart.  Most  of  the  mountains  of  Iceland  are  volcanoes,  no  fewer  than  twenty- 
five  having  been  active  in  the  course  of  its  history,  which  covers  a  period  of  a  thousand  years.  The 
greatest  volcanic  outburst  on  record  was  in  1783,  in  the  north-west  corner  of  the  Vatna-jokull.  Two 
great  lava  streams,  one  fifty  and  the  other  forty  miles  long,  and  a  hundred  feet  deep,  covered  about 
four  hundred  square  miles  of  the  more  cultivated  part  of  the  island,  and  are  said  to  have  caused  the 
destruction  of  one-sixth  of  the  inhabitants  and  one-half  of  the  livestock. 

The  geysers  of  Iceland  are  famous  for  their  constant  activity,  the  finest  being  those  at  Geysir, 
though  those  of  Hveravellir  are  perhaps  the  most  beautiful.  This  is  like  a  peep  into  fairyland. 
After  crossing  a  cruel  country  of  sandy  deserts  and  rough  moraines,  with  swift  rivers  to  ford  and 
hummocks  to  scramble  over,  one  enters  on  a  grass  land  intersected  with  sinter  terraces,  on  which 
from  a  series  of  hot-springs  and  fumaroles  azure-blue  water  trickles  down  and  is  caught  in  natural 
basins  with  most  lovely  effect.  The  small  geysers  erupt  at  very  short  intervals,  throwing  steaming 
water  three  or  four  feet  up  into  the  air. 

At  Geysir  there  are  great  boiling  cauldrons  where  one  can  stand  on  the  crisp  sinter  ring  sur- 
rounding each  and  gaze  deep  down  into  the  very  blue  water  in  the  funnel.  The  Great  Geyser  has  a 
diameter  of  about  one  hundred  feet,  and  its  funnel  is  sixteen  feet  across  at  the  surface.  The  ring 
of  sinter  which  surrounds  the  crater  is  raised  ten  or  fifteen  feet  above  the  level  of  the  ground.  It 
erupts  as  a  rule  once  in  twenty-four  hours,  with  a  dull  thud  and  subterranean  rumbhngs,  when  a 
huge  column  of  boiling  water  is  violently  ejected  and  flung  to  a  height  of  seventy  or  eighty  feet. 


I'Imla  hyl 


[A.  KUnckomlrlim. 


THE     EXTINCT    CRATERS    OF     ICELAND. 


The  whole  of   Iceland  has    been    formea    through    volcanic    agency,  and    during  the  course  of  its  known  history  twenty-five 
active  volcanoes  have  appeared.     The  extinct  craters  on  the  island  are  numerous. 


874 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Stream  after  stream  spouts  up,  to  fall  in  showers  and  meet  and  fight  with  the  ascending  volumes, 
this  stupendous  fountain  being  crowned  by  rolling  clouds  of  hissing,  roaring  steam.  After  two  or 
three  minutes  the  uproar  subsides,  the  water  sinks  down  into  the  funnel,  and  all  is  still  once  more. 

Fine  specimens  of  lava  caves  are  to  be  seen  at  Surtshellir,  which  has  a  remarkable  series,  pro- 
bably due  in  the  first  instance  to  a  big  bubble  formation  in  the  lava  flow.  Lateral  pressure  must 
have  forced  up  the  roof,  and  the  caves  so  formed  were  then  enlarged  and  deepened  by  the  erosion 
of  water,  a  subterranean  river  having  until  comparatively  recent  times  flowed  through  these  caves. 
It  has  now  evidently  made  a  lower  channel  for  itself  and  has  left  these  caves  dry.  They  lie  close 
to  the  great  ice-covered  Eyriks-jokull,  one  of  the  highest  mountains  in  Iceland,  and  there  are  snow- 
drifts in  these  caves  all  the  year  round. 

The  Belfry  of  Bruges. — The  Belfry  of  Bruges  is  a  Gothic  tower  dating  from  the  sixteenth 
century.  The  effect  of  its  two  hundred  and  ninety  feet  of  height  is  accentuated  by  the  modest 
appearance  of  the  low  building  to  which  it  is  attached.     Les  Halles,  a  picturesque  fourteenth-century 


THE    GEYSERS.     ICELAND. 

Iceland    has    always    been    famous    for    her    geysers.     The    largest,    as    its    name    implies,   is  the  Great    Geyser,  which  has  a 

diameter  of    100  feet,  and  erupts  about   once   in   twenty-four  hours. 

market-hall,  was  built  to  house  the  cloth  merchants  of  Bruges.  In  the  Middle  Ages  the  town  was 
the  great  commercial  centre  of  Europe.  The  trade  of  the  world  passed  through  its  markets.  It  was 
a  staple  of  the  Hanseatic  League  in  the  thirteenth  century,  and  was,  besides,  the  chief  exchange 
of  the  trade  in  wool  and  cloth  with  England.  This  explains  the  dignity  of  the  building  erected  to 
house  the  worthy  mediaeval  cloth  merchants.  But  the  commerce  of  Europe  now  flows  in  other 
channels ;  the  traders  of  Genoa  and  Venice  have  long  ceased  to  flock  here  to  barter  the  products 
of  Italy  and  the  East  for  those  of  Northern  Europe  ;  and  the  Municipal  Offices  of  Bruges  are  now 
housed  in  the  ancient  hall  of  the  cloth-makers.  The  other  wing  of  the  building  is  still  a  meat  market, 
as  in  the  days  of  Bruges'  prosperity,  when  the  Counts  of  Flanders  made  it  their  chief  place  of 
residence.  Its  splendour  was  at  its  zenith  in  the  fifteenth  century,  when  the  Dukes  of  Burgundy 
fixed  their  court  here  ;  and  the  great  Belfry  is  a  monument  of  those  brilliant  days.  It  contains  the 
finest  chimes  in  Europe.  They  are  not  niggardly  with  their  music.  Every  quarter  of  an  hour 
they  are  played  by  machinery,  and  three  days  a  week  they  are  played  by  hand  at  midday.  The 
machinery  which  works  this  monster  carillon  can  be  seen,  near  the  top  of  the  tower,  in  a  spacious 
chamber.  An  enormous  copper  drum,  which  acts  somewhat  like  the  barrel  of  a  musical  box,  operates 
the  keys  of  the  instrument. 


876 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


i\ 


kk*-    i 


,.J-« 


i. 


Pholo  by} 


[_A.  Klinctoicstriim. 


BASALTIC     COLUMNS,     FAROE     ISLANDS. 


Of  the  same  origin  as   Iceland,   that  is  to  say,  volcanic,    these    islands    exhibit    curious    formations    caused    by    the    ancient 
lava  flow,  among  which  the  long  ridges  of  columns  of  jointed  basalt  are  most  conspicuous. 

There  is  a  wonderful  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  spread  like  a  panorama  beyond  the  high- 
peaked  roofs  of  the  town,  to  be  obtained  from  the  top  of  the  Belfry. 

Monte  Rosa. — There  can  be  no  two  peaks  in  the  world  whose  majestic  outlines  are  better  known 
than  the  two  giants  of  the  Pennine  Alps,  Mont  Blanc  and  Monte  Rosa.  This  portion  of  the  Swiss 
Mountains  has  always  been  acknowledged  the  most  important,  not  only  on  account  of  their  unrivalled 
altitude,  but  because  from  their  position  on  the  boundary  line  between  Switzerland  and  Italy  they 
dominate  the  landscape  from  so  great  a  tract  of  country.  From  the  whole  of  the  plain  of  Upper 
Italy,  from  Turin  to  Milan,  and  even  so  far  south  as  the  slopes  of  the  Apennines,  Monte  Rosa  with 
,  her  attendant  group  of  peaks  towers  up  on  the  northern  horizon ;  while  from  all  the  heights  of 
Western  Switzerland  she  is  commonly  a  conspicuous  object  upon  the  eastern  skyline,  though  a  little 
overshadowed  on  that  side  by  the  yet  more  impressive  outlines  of  Mont  Blanc.  From  that  portion 
of  the  main  chain  which  connects  Mont  Combin  with  Monte  Rosa  the  peaks  that  branch  away  north- 
ward stand  only  less  to  the  unsurpassed  magnitude  of  the  giants  whose  satellites  they  are.  The 
ranges  that  spread  south  and  east  from  Monte  Rosa  on  the  Italian  side  are  gentler  and  less  rugged. 

The  first  ascent  of  the  main  peak  of  the  mountain  was  made  in  1855  by  a  party  of  Englishmen 
with  guides.  Although  the  height  of  its  principal  peak,  the  Dufour,  is  fifteen  thousand  two  hundred 
and  seventeen  feet,  the  climb  is  not  attended  with  great  difficulty  or  danger,  and  can  be  done  in 
ten  hours  from  the  Riffelhaus,  the  best  point  from  which  to  make  the  ascent  ;  from  Zermatt  the  dis- 
tance is  greater.  The  Corner  Glacier,  one  of  the  principal  ice-streams  that  sweep  down  the  flanks 
of  the  Monte  Rosa  range,  is  of  great  magnitude. 

Milan  Cathedral. — The  Cathedral  of  this,  the  great  northern  metropolis  of  Italy,  is  unique 
amongst  the  cathedrals  of  Europe.     The  daring  conception  of  the  mind  which  created  this  vast 


Europe 


877 


forest  of  spires  and  cusps  and  pinnacled  saints  holds  the  imagination  in  awe.     For  the  whole  building 
is  of  vast  dimensions  and  the  exterior  bristles  with  every  conceivable  ornament  that  could  be  devised 
for  the  further  adornment  of  the  Perpendicular  Gothic.     But  the  reader  must  forget  the  usual 
characteristics  of  Gothic  architecture  if  he  is  to   gain    any  inkling   of   the   appearance    of   Milan 
Cathedral.     Here  he  is  confronted  with  the  modern  Italian  efflorescence  of  this  exclusively  nDrthern 
style.     Let  him  imagine  a  bride-cake  tricked  out  in  all  the  fantastic  elaborations  of  the  sugar-artists, 
the  white  pinnacles  rising  at  every  point  possible,  each  bearing  a  number  of  canopied  niches  for  the 
occupation  of  white  statuettes,  pierced  ribs  connecting  the  outposts  of  the  edifice  with  the  main 
body,  which  is  itself  elaborately  crested  with  more  pierced  work.     Imagine,  also,  a  cluster  of  slender 
pinnacles  rising  up  at  the  point  of  junction  of  the  four  branches  of  the  pile,  reaching  to  a  height 
that  threatens  the  destruction 
of  the  delicate  spires  by  their 
own    weight,    and    finally    one 
last   pinnacle    reaching   up   to 
the  very  skies.    Such  a  picture 
gives  no  inaccurate  idea  of  the 
great  Cathedral,  save  that  here 
the  material  is  fine  marble  and 
the  immense  building,  built  in 
the  shape  of  a  Latin  cross,  has 
a  length  of  four  hundred  and 
eighty-six   feet  and  a  breadth 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty-two 
feet.     Despite  its  over-decora- 
tion, however,  this  great  white 
temple  fascinates  the  eye  with 
its    extravagant    beauty    and 
compels  the  admiration.     It  is 
a  bewildering  task  to  attempt 
a  detailed  study  of  the  carved 
work  or  the  six  thousand  sta- 
tues and  the  varied  gargoyles 
which     are    lavished    on    the 
building  ;    but    the    interior  is 
a  strange  contrast   to   the  ex- 
terior.      Here    all    is     simple 
Gothic,    that    creates    an    im- 
pression   of    might,     of    vast 
spaces  and  lofty  aisles  and  fit- 
ful lights  gleaming  in  the  dark 
recesses  of  the   chapels.     The 
effect    of    the  transition    from 
the  dazzling  intricacies  of   the 
exterior   to    the  dim  religious 
light  and  magnificent    solem- 
nity within  is  indeed  startling. 
The  present  building  occu- 
pies the  site  of  two  more  ancient 
churches,  and  was  commenced 


Photo  ^y] 


[.4.  Kliitckotcstrimi. 


A     BASALTIC     FISSURE.     FAROE     ISLANDS. 


On^ 


of    the    deep    gorges    made    by    the    sea  as  it  cut    its    way  through  the  lava 
flow  which   had  been   piled  mountain   high  by  some  forgotten  eruption. 


878 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


by  order  of  Gian  Galeazzo  Visconti,  the  great  Duke  of  Milan,  in  1386,  but  for  centuries  the 
building  remained  incomplete  until  Napoleon  I.,  in  1805,  finished  the  work  so  long  begun.  Save 
for  St.  Peter's  in  Rome,  this  is  the  largest  church  in  the  world. 

The  most  interesting  part  of  the  exterior  is  the  western  facade,  which  is  of  the  sixteenth  century, 
and  of  Italian  workmanship.     The  dedication  of  the  church  to  the  Virgin  is  here  inscribed,  and  the 

beautiful  modern  bronze  doors  enhance 
the  marble  lacework  of  the  ornament. 

In  the  crypt-like  chapel  under  the 
central  altar  is  the  tomb  of  San  Carlo 
Borromeo,  the  patron  saint  of  Milan, 
who  was,  indeed,  worthy  of  the  high 
honour  bestowed  upon  him  by  the 
Church.  This  tomb  is  exceedingly 
sumptuous,  wrought  of  silver  and 
crystal  and  holds  the  richly-clad  body 
of  the  saint  in  his  episcopal  vestments 
encircled  with  magnificent  jewels.  The 
sacristy  also  contains  many  valuable 
chalices,  etc.,  which  include  a  ciborium 
of  Benvenuto  Cellini,  besides  many 
heavily-jewelled  vestments. 

Eleasis. — In  the  little  village  of 
Lefsina,  a  short  distance  from  Athens, 
the  ruins  of  the  famous  Temple  of  De- 
meter,  known  to  the  world  as  the  Temple 
of  Eleusis,  are  to  be  seen.  And  this  is 
where  the  Greeks  have  located  the  legend 
of  the  Goddess,  that  is  the  most  beautiful 
and  touching  story  in  all  their  mytho- 
logy. It  was  at  this  Temple  that  the 
great  Eleusinian  Mysteries  were  enacted. 
The  story  of  the  abduction  of 
Cora  by  Pluto,  the  King  of  the  Lower 
World,  and  the  despair  of  her  mother 
Demeter,  who  left  Olympus  to  seek 
her  vanished  child,  is  too  well  known 
to  need  repetition  here.  Also  that, 
at  the  command  of  Zeus,  Cora  was 
permitted  to  spend  a  portion  of 
the  year,  the  spring-time,  with  her 
mother  upon  the  earth,  on  condition 
that  she  duly  returned  to  her  lord  in 
the  dim  caverns  of  the  underworld.  For  the  Greeks,  as  Decharme  has  beautifully  said,  "  Nature  was 
full  of  passionate  and  hving  energies,  of  divine  forms  sensible  of  joy  and  sorrow,  and  the  different 
phases  of  vegetable  life  became  in  their  eyes  the  wondrous  acts  of  a  drama  which  was  at  once 
divine  and  human."  Thus  we  see  at  once  the  meaning  of  this  touching  legend.  "  It  arose  from  the 
sight  of  the  phenomenon  of  vegetable  life,  from  the  mourning  of  Nature  during  the  winter,  followed 
by  the  new  birth  of  Spring.  .  .  .  The  annual  descent  of  Cora  into  the  lower  world  and  her  return  to 
the  light  symbohzed  the  seed  faUing  upon  the  earth  and  disappearing  into  its  bosom,  and  the  coming 


THE     BELFRY.     BRUGES. 

Attached  to  a  building  called  "  Les  Halles  "  (not  the  town  hall,  but  a 
market  place  for  cloth  and  flesh),  this  tower  possesses  the  finest  peal  of 
bells  in  Europe.  They  number  forty-eight,  while  the  tower  itself  is 
353   feet   high. 


I'hnio   M/] 


l/>oriafd  Atc/.fis/i. 


MONTE     ROSA. 


T  he     great     mass     of     Monte     Rosa     rises     from     the     Pennine     Alps     to     a     height     of     over     1 5,000    feel.     The    highest    of     its 

peaks  is  the   Dufourspitze. 


88o 


The  Wonders   of  the   World 


to  life  again  and  flourishing  in 
spring  ;  the  grief  of  Demeter, 
bereft  of  her  child,  represents 
the  desolation  and  barrenness 
of  the  earth  during  the  winter. 
To  this  assemblage  of  physical 
notions  was  soon  added  moral 
ideas  of  a  loftier  kind  ;  the 
life  and  death  of  man,  and 
even  the  problems  of  the 
destiny  of  mankind  were 
linked  with  the  vicissitudes 
of  the  earth,  with  the  life  and 
death  of  Nature ;  soon  the 
thought  of  the  future  life  pre- 
vailed over  the  touching  story 
of  the  Divine  Tragedy,  and 
the  combination  gave  birth  to 
the  Mysteries  of  Eleusis." 
(Ch.  Diehl.) 

The  whole  story  of  De- 
meter's  wanderings  may  be 
read  in  the  beautiful  Hymn 
to  Demeter,  discovered  about 
a  century  ago  in  a  library  in 
Moscow,  the  author  of  which 
was  evidently  one  of  the 
initiated.  He  makes  plain  the 
lofty  aim  of  the  Mysteries,  and 
closes  his  hymn  with  these 
remarkable  words  :  "  Happy 
among  the  dwellers  upon  earth 
is  he  who  hath  beheld  these 
Mysteries  ;  but  he  who  is  uninitiated  and  hath  no  part  in  these  rites  hath  never  the  like  Destiny, 
even  when  Death  hath  made  him  descend  into  the  gloom  of  the  lower  world." 

Unhappily  the  severe  prohibition  laid  upon  all  who  visited  Eleusis  and  were  witnesses  of  all 
or  part  of  the  holy  Mysteries,  or  saw  the  sacred  buildings,  to  speak  of  what  they  had  seen  has  left 
us  with  no  written  descriptions  to  aid  modern  research.  Even  Pausanias  is  silent  on  this  point. 
It  was  not  till  1882  that  the  Athenian  Archaeological  Society  began  the  serious  excavation  of 
Eleusis.  Their  work  enables  us  now  to  ascertain  the  plan  of  the  buildings  and  form  a  fairly  accurate 
idea  of  the  festivals  held  in  honour  of  the  Goddess  and  the  organization  of  her  priesthood.  Many 
beautiful  objects  of  art  have  been  discovered  in  the  ruins.  But,  unfortunately,  of  the  more 
significant  and  intimate  part  of  the  worship,  the  inner  mysteries  reserved  for  the  few,  which  existed 
beside  the  public  adoration  of  the  Goddess  our  knowledge  remains  imperfect.  "  They  seem  to  have 
formed,"  says  M.  Rehan,  "  the  really  serious  part  of  the  religion  of  ancient  times  ;  and  they  exercised 
a  strong  attraction  and  considerable  moral  influence  over  the  pious  souls  of  those  days." 

The  most  important  building  yet  unearthed  at  Eleusis  is  the  great  Hall  of  Initiation,  built  in 
the  fifth  century  B.C.  under  the  direction  of  Ictinus.  Unlike  the  ordinary  Greek  temple,  it  has 
neither  pronaos  nor  cella.      It  was  reckoned  one  of  the  masterpieces  of  the  Periclean  Age.     It  was 


Photo  by'\  [Ihniill.l  M,  l..isli. 

MONTE     ROSA. 
A  view  of  the    Rimpfishhorn    from    the    Allalinhorn.     It   is    only    from    a  close  view 
of    the    mountain    that    its    great     height    and    the    vast    extent     of    its    snowfields    can 
be    realized. 


Europe 


88 1 


two  hundred  and  tvventj-lhicc  iect  long  by  one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  feet  wide.  P'our  rows 
of  columns  in  parallel  lines  ilivicktl  the  interior  space,  an  arrangement  which  must  have  prevented 
the  spectators  from  seeing  the  exhibition  of  the  Mysteries  as  a  whole.  There  were  eight  tiers  of  stone 
seats  all  round  the  Hall,  capable  of  accommodating  three  thousand  people.  A  cupola  roof  was  built 
later  by  Xenocles,  with  an  opening  in  the  centre  to  give  light.  No  pillars  decorated  the  fa9ade 
until  Philon,  the  architect,  in  the  time  of  Demetrius  of  Phalerum,  added  a  pronaos  with  twelve 
pillars.     The  Temple  stood  in  a  large  enclosure. 

Grindeliva.ld. — Grindelwald  is  situated  in  the  Bernese    Oberlaud,  at  an  altitude  of  more  than 
three  thousand  four  hundred  feet.     It  is  perched,  as  it  were,  upon  the  very  shoulders  of  the  great 
mountains,  which  thrust  their  dauntless  heads  into  the  clouds  thirteen  thousand  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea.     The  history  of  this  fertile  valley  goes  back  to  the  Middle  Ages  ;  it  commences  with  the 
establishment  by  certain  feudal  lords  of  a  small  community  of  their  people  to  graze  their  cattle  here. 
And  these  simple  inhabitants 
of  the  valley  continued  from 
one  generation  to  another  to 
pursue  their   peaceful   avoca- 
tions indifferent  to  any  change 
of   master.      They  became  at 
one  time  the  vassals  of  a  mon- 
astic house  in  Interlaken,  and 
after    the    Reformation    were 
taken  over  by  the  Canton  of 
Berne ;  but  these  changes  prac- 
tically left  them  undisturbed. 
Each  family  had  its  little  bit 
of   property,    a  chalet  and  a 
field  or  two,  with  grazing  and 
wood-cutting  rights  over  the 
forest  land.     But  there  came 
a  day  when  the  professors  of 
the  universities  of  Berne  and 
Ziirich     began     seriously     to 
study   glaciers  and  to  appre- 
ciate their  importance  in  the 
making    of    a  world.       They 
went  up  into  the  heart  of  the 
mountains  to  look  at  them,  up 
to  the   little  village  of  Grin- 
delwald, nestling  beneath  the 
mighty  shadow  of  the  Wetter- 
horn  and  sentinelled   by  that 
great  trio,  the  Jungfrau,  the 
Eiger  and  the  Monch.     It  be- 
came the  fashion  for  the  Swiss 
professors  of  the  seventeenth 
century  to   go  ^up  there,    and 
their  advent  caused  inns  and         I'hoiobsi  „      .,  u>rogi. 

MILAN    CATHEDRAL, 
guest-houses     to     be     added     to  ^^^  ^.^^^^  ^^  ^cM.eCurc  are  mor=  wo„d«ful  .ha„  .he  roof  of  Milan  Cathedral, 

the  chalets  of  the  natives.     And  with  its  countle»«  marble  pinnacles  and  its  fretted  buttresses. 

57 


a  5 


TJ  2 


"    5 


=  1 


S  t: 


E~ 


Z  ^ 


o  S 


Europe 


883 


the  professors  wrote  books,  surprisingly  inaccurate,  about  the  ice  and  the  snow-crystals  and  the  moun- 
tains and  the  rocks  and  the  glacier  streams  which  they  saw  there.  And  in  1642  Matthew  Merian 
published  a  view,  a  very  quaint  view,  of  Grindelwald  ;  and  thus  it  became  famous.  And  men  turned 
their  eyes  longingly  to  the  high  peaks  and  began  to  think  and  to  talk  of  climbing  them.  After  many 
more  or  less  incredible  stories  of  ascents  and  adventures,  we  find  three  generations  of  one  family, 
the  Meyers  of  Aarau,  connected  with  these  Oberland  Mountains.  Johann  Rudolf  Meyer  drew  maps 
of  them,  helped  by  a  German  who  had  crossed  the  Oberaarjoch  in  1795.  Then  two  sons  of  Meyer, 
Johann  and  Hieronymous,  managers  of  a  ribbon  factory,  were  seized  by  a  desire  to  "  learn  the 
relations  between  the  various  vast  basins  of  eternal  snow,"  and  also  to  "  ascertain  whether  the  peaks 
which  rise  out  of  them  could  be  ascended."     This  question  was  partially  solved  by  their  ascent  of 


Photo  hy] 


\The  PiKtochrom  Co.  Ltd. 


ELEUSIS. 


These  ruins  at  Lefsina,  a  village  not  far  from  Athens,  are  all  that  is  left  of  the  famous  Temple  sacred  to  Ceres  All 
Greece  came  to  this  mojt  sacred  shrine.  The  Great  Hail  of  the  Initiation  was  reckoned  to  be  the  masterpiece  of  the 
Periclean  Age. 

the  Jungfrau  (thirteen  thousand  six  hundred  and  seventy  feet)  in  181 1.  It  proved  a  feat  of  immense 
difficulty,  but  they  accomplished  it  a  second  time  the  following  year  to  prove  the  truth  of  the  first 
and  to  convince  the  doubters  of  their  prowess.  The  difficulty  of  the  climb  may  be  deduced  from 
the  fact  that  it  was  only  scaled  four  times  in  the  next  forty  years  ;  but  since  1851  it  has  frequently 
been  conquered. 

For  a  general  view  of  the  Grindelwald  valley  and  the  giants  that  tower  above  it,  the  Ridge  of  the 
Scheidegg  is  hardly  to  be  surpassed.  Looking  northward  there  is  the  broad  summit  of  the  Wetter- 
horn  dominating  the  scene,  with  its  rocky  peaks  and  gleaming  snow-fields.  And  beyond  the  Great 
Scheidegg  the  view  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Schwarzhorn  range ;  while  on  the  extreme  left 
rises  the  Faulhorn's  blunt  head.  Southward  lie  the  splendid  trio,  the  Eiger,  the  Monch,  most  ascetic 
of  monks,  and  the  Jungfrau,  the  most  beautiful,  placid,  cold  and  chaste  young  woman  in  the  world. 
All  these  are  over  thirteen  thousand  feet  in  height.  The  Eiger's  thirteen  thousand  and  forty  feet 
were  first  ascended  in  1858  by  Charles  Harrington.     The  Gross  Schreckhorn,  thirteen  thousand  three 


884 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


From  Stereo  eopyriijht  by^ 

GRINDELWALD. 


[//.  C.  White  Co. 


One  of    the  most     beautiful    and     famous 
the   Bernese  Oberland. 


hundred  and  eighty-five  feet,  was  first  conquered 

in  1861  by  Sir   Leslie  Stephen,  and  presents  very 

great  difficulties  to  the  climber.     The  inaccessible 

peak  of  the  Monch  likewise  is  but    rarely    scaled. 

But  the  sense  of  wonder  and  awe  when  the  intrepid 

traveller  finds  himself    up  among  the   very  peaks 

and   pinnacles  that  pierce  the  roof  of  the  world 

must  be  an  unforgettable  experience  in  the   life  of 

any  man. 

Strasbarg. — The  town  of  Strasburg,  the  capital 

and  the  seat  of  Government  of  the  twin  provinces 

of    Alsace    and    Lorraine,    presents    very    striking 

and  curious  contrasts  in  appearance.     No  town  in 

all    Germany,  except    Berlin,  can   show   so   manj' 

handsome  new  buildings  as  the  new  town,  which  was 

largely  rebuilt  after    the   bombardment    of   1870  ; 

but  in  the  old  town,  one  passes  through  narrow, 

irregular  streets,  from  which  the  high-pitched  old 

German  roofs  shut  out  the  sunlight,  and  the  pure 

Gothic  of  the  Minster  spire  soars   into  the  sky  as 

it  has   done   for  four  centuries.     Here  the  quaint 

aspect  of  a  medieval  city  has  been  perfectly  pre- 
served.    The  Cathedral  itself  is  the  product  of  four  centuries  of  beautiful  work.     Part  of  the  crypt 

dates  from  1015.      In  the  apse  the  transition  from  Romanesque  to  Gothic  is  plainly  to  be  seen. 

And  the  pure  Gothic  of  the  fine  nave  is  the  work  of  1275  and  the  years  following.     The  west  facade 

is  decorated  with  a  singular  screen  of  double  tracery,  giving  an  effect  of  wonderful  richness  and 

elaboration.     The  original  design  is  owed  to  Erwin  of  Steinbach,  circ.  1315.  but  the  upper  portions 

were  the  work  of  another  hand,  and  were  slightly  different.     The  intricate  openwork  of  the  spire 
^^_^^^^^^^^^^^^      shows  like  lace    against    the   sky ;   it    dates   from 

Bl  ^^*^J1^^M^^^^^^B      1435-     The  whole    building   is   rich   in   sculptured 

^^  ^^"^SSu^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ffi      ornament.      A  curiosity  to  be  seen  in  the  interior 

is  an  astronomical  clock,  made  in  1838,  in  which 
is  incorporated  part  of  the  famous  clock  built  by 
Dasypodius  in  1571. 

It  was  at  Strasburg  that  Napoleon  III.  made 
his  first  ineffectual  attempt  to  recover  the  vast 
powers  gained  and  lost  by  the  founder  of  his 
dynasty.  And  the  town  will  always  be  notable  for 
the  dramatic  siege  of  1870,  when  after  seven  weeks 
the  garrison  of  seventeen  thousand  surrendered  to 
the  German  besiegers,  and  the  nationality  of  the 
provinces  was  thenceforward  changed. 

Strombotu — ^The  volcano  of  Stromboli  is  the 
natural  lighthouse  of  the  Mediterranean.  Its 
great  truncated  cone  rises  from  the  sea  to  a  height 
of  three  thousand  feet.  It  is  situated  in  the 
Lipari  Isles,  about  twenty  miles  north-east  of 
Lipari  itself.  It  possesses  a  very  special  interest 
for  the  student,  as  being  the  only  volcano  in  Europe 


From  Stereo  eoppriah!  /-y] 

GRINDELWALD. 

A    mighty    rock     detached     and     carried    down 
valley  by  the  force  of  the  glacier. 


[//.  C.  White  Co. 


the 


Europe 


885 


in  a  permanent  state  of  activity.  And  a  fact  that  adds  much  to  its  value  in  this  connection  is  the 
position  of  the  crater,  which  is  placed  at  the  side  of,  and  some  distance  below,  the  summit  of  the 
cone.  It  is  actually  a  parasitic  crater  or  blow-hole  which  the  perpetual  activity  of  its  subter- 
ranean fires  has  forced  through  the  wall  of  the  original  cone.  Thus,  seated  upon  an  elevated 
point  above  it,  the  observer  can  watch  for  hours  the  changes  and  operations  going  on  deep  down 
within  the  crater's  mouth.  Such  observations  undertaken  in  1788  by  Spallanzani  marked  an 
epoch  in  the  science  of  vulcanology 
and  furnished  some  of  the  most 
striking  and  important  data  on  which 
the  modern  science  rests.  Mention  is 
first  made  of  Stromboli,  then  active 
as  now,  in  the  fourth  century  B.C. 
So  it  was  prior  to  that  time  that  the 
floor  of  the  ocean  was  broken  up  and 
the  mass  of  volcanic  ash  and  rock 
thrown  up  which  forms  the  great 
mountain  that  we  now  see.  The 
Lipari  Isles  show  several  eruptive 
centres  dating  from  different  periods. 

Mr.  Johnstone-Lavis,  the  scientist, 
who  has  devoted  much  study  to  the 
volcanoes  of  the  South  Italian  area, 
has  thus  conjectured  the  circumstances 
of  the  birth  of  the  mountain  : 

"  One  day,  possibly  during  a  dead 
calm,  a  frightful  struggle  commenced 
between  fire  and  water.  One  can 
imagine  an  immense  column  of  water 
rising  as  from  a  gigantic  torpedo 
explosion,  accompanied  by  clouds  of 
vapour  and  fragments  of  rock,  shutting 
off  the  light  of  day.  On  the  surface 
of  the  sea  dark  irregular  waves 
covered  with  pumice,  algae  and  dead 
fish  rolled  towards  the  shore.  At 
night  great  columns  of  smoke  illumined 
by  lightnings  and  showers  of  red-hot 
stones  showed  like  an  immense  flame 
rising  from  a  terrible  conflagration. 
The  enormous  column  of  dust,  rock 
fragments  and  lavas  accumulated 
and  rose  above  the  surface  of  the 
sea,  forming  an  island  from  which 
the  lava  continued  to  flow." 

More  than  the  half  of  Stromboli's 
circular  bulk    is   submarine,  standing         ^^^^^^^^^  iTkePkcockromCo.ua. 

firm    upon    the    floor   of   the     ocean.  strasburg   cathedral. 

From  the  crater  a  remarkable  slope.        ^    Buii.  during  ,h.  dev.n.h  -d  .w.ito,  cen.uri«  .M.  ch.dr.i  i.  one  of 

^  the    sublimest    specimens    of    Gothic.      Only  one  ot  ihc  western    towers    was 

known   as  the   Sciarra   del  FUOCO,    leads  completed,     it   is  of  open  stonework,  and  is  466  feet  high. 


886 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


down  to  the  water's  edge.  Down  this  slope  roll  the  stones,  rocks  and  lava  ejected  from  the 
mouth.  There  are  always  many  active  blow-holes,  vents  and  small  cones,  from  which  showers  of 
lava  fragments  are  thrown. 

Si.  Martin's  Cross,  loria. — Of  the  monuments  still  standing  to  witness  to  Celtic  civilization, 
the  cross  near  the  west  door  of  the  Cathedral  of  lona  is  amongst  the  most  notable.  The  island  was 
chosen  by  St.  Columba  for  the  settlement  of  the  little  company  of  missionaries  who  were  to  preach 

Christianity  to  the  rough  inhabitants  of  these  wild  isles,  and  to 
this  circumstance  lona  owes  its  fame  and  its  beautiful  cross. 
At  a  later  date  was  founded  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Columba, 
and  here  the  bones  of  the  saint  were  laid  to  rest,  so  that  soon 
this  acre  of  God  became  renowned  for  its  sanctity,  and  the 
bodies  of  kings  and  princes  were  carried  hither  from  over  the 
seas  for  sepulture.  Celtic  art  was  employed  to  commemorate 
the  dead,  and  as  many  as  three  hundred  and  si.Kty  crosses 
were  standing  prior  to  the  Reformation.  But  iconoclastic 
fanaticism  destroyed  the  greater  part  of  these  beautiful 
relics  ;  only  the  great  cross  erected  to  the  memory  of  the 
saintly  Bishop  Martin  of  Tours,  in  the  sixth  century  \.d.,  has 
survived  destruction.  It  is  carved  out  of  a  block  of  mica- 
schist  resting  upon  a  pedestal  of  red  granite  and  reaches  to  a 
height  of  fourteen  feet. 

Versailles. — In  the  forest  of  Versailles,  in  1624,  a  hunting 
lodge  was  built  for  Louis  XIII.  Its  solid  square  of  stone 
and  brick  was  preserved  and  incorporated  in  the  Cour  Royale, 
the  main  courtyard  of  the  great  palace  built  on  the  same  site 
for  Louis  XIV.  The  natural  beauties  of  these  woods  have 
been  taken  full  advantage  of  by  those  who  planned  the  lovely 
gardens  surrounding  the  palace,  and  the  whole  remains  the 
popular  beau  ideal  of  what  a  kingly  palace  and  its  pleasure 
grounds  should  be.  It  became  the  residence  of  the  whole 
Court  of  Louis  XIV.  and  the  seat  of  the  Government.  It 
had  accommodation  for  a  thousand  inmates,  and  the  total 
cost  of  the  building  and  the  laying  out  of  the  gardens  is 
estimated  at  nearly  twenty  millions  sterling.  Its  upkeep  in  its 
great  days  must  have  cost  over  one  hundred  thousand  pounds 
a  year.  Within  the  palace  the  most  poignant  interest  attaches 
to  those  rooms  with  which  the  ill-fated  Queen  of  Louis 
XVI.  is  particularly  associated.  These  are  on  the  first 
floor.  Running  across  the  width  of  the  main  projection  of 
the  palace,  looking  over  the  beautiful  terraces  of  the  garden 
from  its  seventeen  large  windows,  is  the  famous  Galerie  des 
Glaces.  Opposite  the  windows  are  the  great  Venetian  mirrors  from  which  it  takes  its  name,  set 
in  carved  and  gilded  frames.  Here  all  the  Royal  receptions  took  place.  Leading  out  of  it  on 
one  side  is  L'Oiil-de-Boeuf,  with  its  oval  window,  where  the  courtiers  used  to  await  the  summons 
of  the  Monarch.  Beyond  this  are  the  Queen's  appartements :  the  bedchamber  of  Marie  Antoinette, 
her  salon,  and  the  Salle  des  Gardes,  which  was  invaded  by  the  mob  from  Paris,  headed  by  the 
dames  des  Halles,  on  the  fateful  6th  of  October,  1789.  Adjoining  are  the  severely  simple  little 
cabinets  in  which  Madame  de  Maintenon  lived,  and  from  which  she  ruled  the  heart  and  guided  the 
conscience  of  the  great  Louis  XIV. 


ST.    MARTIN'S    CROSS.    lONA. 

Celtic  civilization  existed  both  in  pre- 
Christian  and  early  Christian  times.  This 
cross  was  raised  as  a  monutnent  to  the 
saintly  Bishop  Martin  of  Tours  in  the  sixth 
century  A.D.  It  is  a  splendid  example  of 
late  Celtic  sculpture. 


li\eurdein  t'H'res, 


THE     PALACE.     VERSAILLES 


PiMo  hy-\  [The  Photochrom  Co.  Ltd. 

THE    FOUNTAINS.    VERSAILLES. 

This  wonderful  palace  was  built  by  the  great  Louis  XIV.  It  held  accommodation  for  1,000  inmates,  and  the  total  cost  of 
the  building  and  the  laying  out  of  the  grounds  is  said  to  have  been  over  £20,000,000.  The  fountain  shown  is  thai  called  *'  the 
Latona  Fountain." 


APPENDIX. 

By    PHILIP   E.   SERGEANT  and   F.    W.    CHRISTIAN. 

The  Kaaba  and  Mahomet's  Tombf  Mecca.— The  strange  building  which  has  made  the  word  Mecca 
synon3anous  with  a  place  of  pilgrimage  is  a  direct  lineal  of  one  of  the  oldest  shrines,  probably,  in 
the  whole  world.  At  any  rate,  long  before  the  days  of  Mahomet,  and  as  far  back  as  its  existence  can 
be  traced,  Mecca  was  a  place  of  sanctity  and  of  sanctuary  to  the  inhabitants  of  all  the  surrounding 
region  of  Arabia.  When  the  Prophet  arose  and  founded  his  new  religion  he  was  not  obliged  to 
invest  his  birth-place  with  a  new  holiness,  but  had  merely  to  adapt  to  his  own  ends  that  holiness 
which  it  already  possessed.  In  doing  this  he  took  under  his  protection  the  Kaaba  {i.e.,  "  the  cube  "), 
the  centre  of  the  ancient  heathen  worship  of  the  local  Arabs,  destroying  the  idols  but  retaining  much 
of  the  old  ritual  of 
the  shrine  and  the  i^SSS^ 
old  black  stone  fetish 
which  was  the  most 
valued  possession  of 
the  spot.  According 
to  tradition,  which 
there  is  no  reason  to 
doubt,  the  original 
shape  of  the  Kaaba 
has  been  preserved, 
although  it  has  been 
necessary  to  rebuild  it 
several  times.  It  is 
described  as  a  rough 
cube  of  about  forty 
feet  each  way,  built 
of  stone,  without  win- 
dows— though  on  this 
last  point  there  is 
some  uncertainty,  as 
windows  are  said  by 
some  to  have  been 
added.     Into  the  outer 

wall    of    the     south-east  '^^   tomb  of   the  great   leader  of   Islam. 

angle  is  built  the  famous  stone,  which  every  pilgrim  kisses.  At  one  period  in  its  Mahomedan 
history  it  was  carried  off  by  foes  of  Mecca  and  held  for  twenty-two  years.  It  was  also  once 
damaged  by  fire  and  broken,  so  that  now  it  has  silver  bands  to  hold  it  together.  But  its  sanctity  is 
unimpaired  in  the  eyes  of  the  pious  visitor,  who  believes  that  Abraham  received  it  from  the 
hands  of  the  archangel  Gabriel. 

Abraham,  too,  with  Ishmael's  help,  is  credited  with  the  building  of  the  Kaaba,  the  original 
associations  of  the  shrine  being  thus  overlaid  with  a  coating  of  orthodox  legend.  In  the  same  way 
the  "  cube  "  itself  is  transformed.  Annually  its  outer  walls  and  door  are  enveloped  in  a  rich  brocade 
veil ;  while  the  whole  of  the  interior  has  been  permanently  covered  with  marble,  gold,  and  silver, 
which  would  be  a  strange  contrast  with  th;  walls  of  rude  stone,  could  they  be  seen. 

In  the  mosque-area  which  contains  the  Kaaba  there  is  also  the  tomb  of  Mahomet.  The  Prophet 
died  in  the  house  of  his  favourite  wife,  Ayesha,  the  door  of  which  led  from  the  courtyard  of  the  mosque. 
When  a  dispute  arose  as  to  where  he  should  be  bnried.  Abu  Bekr.  his  successor,  declared  that  he 


Photo  by  permusion  of] 
THE 


the 

by 


[6'.  /*.  Devey,  i':sq. 
KAABA    AND    MAHOMET'S    TOMB.    MECCA. 
The    great    black    stone    fetish,  called  the   Kaaba,  dates  from  a  much    more  ancient  origin  than 
religion    of    the    Mahomedans,  although  it   is  held  in  greater    veneration  owing  to  its  adoption 
the    great    Prophet    as  a  shrine    of    peculiar    sanctity,    while  in  a  corner  of  the  mosque  area  is 


890 


The   Wonders   of  the   World 


had  heard  from  Mahomet's 
own  lips  the  saying  that  wher- 
ever a  prophet  died  there 
should  he  be  buried.  And  so 
the  house  of  Ayesha  became 
the  cemetery  of  the  founder 
of  Mahomedanism.  Here,  too, 
later,  were  interred  the  bodies 
of  Abu  Bekr  and  the  Caliph 
Omar. 

Were  it  not  for  the  Kaaba, 
the  black  stone,  and  the 
additional  holiness  acquired 
through  being  the  burial-place 
of  the  Prophet,  Mecca  would 
have  decayed  out  of  existence 
long  ago.  It  is  the  pilgrims 
who  provide  the  livelihood  of 
the  inhabitants  of  this  moun- 
tain-locked, almost  inaccessible 
town,  deserted  by  trade  of 
any  importance  since  caravans 
ceased  to  be  the  great  trans- 
port agency  of  the  world. 
Attempts  to  compute  the 
annual  number  of  pious  tra- 
vellers who  come  to  Mecca 
have  arrived  at  very  diverse 
figures.  But  seventy  thousand 
have  been  reckoned  to  pass 
through  the  main  ports  or 
stations  on  the  way  to  Mecca, 
so  that  the  total  number  must 
be  considerably  greater. 

Meshedf  Persia 's  Holiest 
Shrine.  —  Meshed,  capital  of 
the  Persian  province  of  Kho- 
rasan,  has  had^  an  eventful 
history,  chiefly  owing  to  its 
nearness  to  the  frontier,  which 
has  made  it  peculiarly  subject 
to  the  attacks  of  foreign  invaders.  Its  fame,  however,  is  not  due  to  this  fact,  nor  yet  to  its 
possession  of  a  main  street  nearly  one  mile  and  three-quarters  long  in  a  straight  line  (unex- 
ampled in  the  East),  but  to  its  being  the  burial-place  of  the  Imam  Reza,  the  eighth  of  the 
twelve  Imams,  or  prophets,  whom  the  Shia  sect  of  Mahomedans  reverence  next  to  Mahomet 
himself.  The  saint  was  buried  at  Meshed  in  the  ninth  century  a.d.  According  to  one  account, 
he  died  of  poison  secretly  administered  to  him  by  the  jealous  Caliph  Mamoon,  son  of  Harun-el- 
Rashid.  Anyhow,  Meshed  (Mashhad)  means  "  Place  of  Witness,"  or  "  Martyrdom."  But  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  tomb  into  a  centre  for  pilgrimage  was  partly  political.     When  the  Shia  doctrine  became 


l*hoto  by  permission  of\  ^Sfajor  Sy/ies. 

MESHED. 

This  is  the  holiest  shrine  in  Persia,  for  it  is  the  burial-place  of  Imam  Reza.  the 
eighth  of  the  twelve  Imams  whom  the  Shia  sect  of  Mahonnedans  reverence  next  to 
Mahomet  himself.  The  mosque  itself  is  very  beautiful,  with  the  dome  above  the 
marble  tomb  of  the  Imam  covered  entirely  with  gold. 


Appendix 


891 


the  established  religion  of  Persia  seven  hundred  years  after  the  Imam  Reza's  death,  his  sepulchre 
and  the  mosque  near  it  (built  by  the  wife  of  Shah  Rukh,  son  of  the  great  Timur)  were  made  to  take 
the  place  of  Mecca  for  the  Shia  world,  the  Turks  being  masters  of  the  territory  on  which  the  tombs 
of  the  still  holier  Ali  and  Husein  stand.  It  is  said  that  over  one  hundred  thousand  pilgrims  visit 
Meshed  annually,  and  there  is  a  great  virtue  to  be  acquired  by  being  buried  in  the  town,  which  is 
consequently  full  of  cemeteries. 

The  shrine  itself  stands  behind  a  quadrangle,  one  hundred  and  fifty  paces  square,  with  rows 
of  alcoves  running  along  the  north,  south,  and  west  sides.  In  each  of  these  three  sides  is  a  gigantic 
archway,  that  on  the  west  being  the  most  notable.  Over  this  is  the  cage  for  the  muezzin  when  he 
gives  the  call  to  prayer,  and  outside  it  a  minaret  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  high.  Eastwick, 
who  visited  the  mosque  early  in  the  second  half  of  last  century,  says  that  the  beauty  of  this  minaret 
cannot  be  exaggerated,  with  its  exquisitely-carved  capital  and  a  light  pillar  on  the  top  of  that,  the 
pillar  and  the  shaft  below  the  capital  being  covered  with  gold.  In  the  centre  of  the  eastern  side  of 
the  quadrangle,  he  says,  two  gigantic  doors  admit  the  people  into  the  inner  mosque,  where  is  the 
marble  tomb  of  the  Imam,  surrounded  by  silver  railings  with  knobs  of  gold.  The  dome  above  is 
covered  entirely  with  gold,  and  a  gilt  minaret  rises  on  either  side.  As  is  usual  with  Mahomedan 
shrines,  it  is  practically  impossible  for  unbelievers  to  approach  near  enough  to  get  any  idea  of  the 
beauty  of  the  place. 

The  Rained  Palace  at  Ciesiphon, — There  are  but  scanty  remains  nowadays  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  river  Tigris  of  Ctesiphon,  the  mighty  capital  of  the  Sassanian  dynasty,  which  made  Persia 
into  a  power  feared  by  the  Emperors  of  Rome  and  only  succumbed  in  the  end  to  the  onslaughts 
of  the  fanatical  Mahomedan  Arabs  in  637  a.d.  The  little  that  remains,  however,  is  a  stupendous 
piece  of  work,  than  which  few  indeed  of  the  world's  buildings  are  more  imposing.     To-day  the 


V  * 


.  iXX\ 


Fhoto  by  permission  of] 


[.Sir  William  Wilcox. 
THE    PALACE    OF    CTESIPHON. 
There    are    (ew    remains    of    the    mighty  Sassanian    dynasty:    but    the    palace    built    by    Chosroes    1..    the    glory    of    his    race,    still 
witnesses  to  the  splendour  of  his  reign.     It   is    possible    that    the    east    end    of    the    vast    hall    here    shown    was    only    closed  with  an 
embroidered  curtain,   which  legend  describes  as  a  work  of  great  beauty. 


892 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


I   ^  ^ 


fragment  of  the  Sassanian  palace 
is  known  as  the  Takhti-Khesra, 
or  "Throne  of  Chosroes,"  from 
Chosroes  I.,  the  great  king  who 
combined  into  one  city  the  Ctesi- 
phon  of  his  predecessors,  the  old 
Greek  capital  of  Seleucia  (on  the 
opposite  bank  of  the  Tigris),  and 
a  new  settlement  planted  by  him- 
self and  filled  with  the  inhabitants 
of  the  captured  Syrian  Antioch. 
Chosroes  had  another  residence, 
the  "  White  Palace,"  about  a  mile 
away  from  the  present  ruin  ;  but 
all  of  this  disappeared  a  thousand 
years  ago.  The  remnant  of  building 
represented  in  our  photograph 
consists  of  an  enormous  vaulted 
hall  and  the  east  wall  of  one  of  its 
two  wings.  The  vault  spans  over 
eighty-five  feet  and  has  no  centred 
supporting  beam  whatever,  yet  has 
survived  nearly  fourteen  centuries. 
According  to  an  Arab  historian, 
when  the  Mahomedans  sacked 
Ctesiphon  they  secured  among 
other  booty  a  veil,  or  carpet,  no 
less  than  seventy  cubits  long  by 
sixty  wide,  which  was  used  to  hang 
over  the  open  eastern  end  of  the 
vaulted  hall  and  was  worked  with 
gold  and  silver  thread  and  precious 
stones  to  represent  the  picture  of 
a  garden.  If  this  story  be  true, 
therefore,  there  never  was  a  wall  at 
the  eastern  end  of  the  great  hall,  but  only  the  veil,  which  could  be  lifted  or  let  down  to  admit  or 
shut  out  the  sun.  Of  the  ruined  mass  as  it  now  stands.  Miss  G.  Lowthian  Bell  writes  :  "  The  great 
curtain  of  wall,  the  face  of  the  right  wing,  rises  stark  and  gaunt  out  of  the  desert,  bearing  upon  its 
surface  a  shallow  decoration  of  niches  and  engaged  columns  which  is  the  final  word  in  the  Asiatic 
treatment  of  wall  spaces.  Tradition  has  it  that  the  whole  wall  was  covered  with  precious  metals." 
Needless  to  say,  no  trace  of  these  metals  remains  now. 

Bas-Relief  on  the  Ishtar  Gaie,  Babylon. — One  of  the  principal  discoveries  of  the  German 
excavations  on  the  site  of  Babylon  during  the  past  dozen  years  has  been  the  "  Gate  of  Ishtar," 
as  it  has  been  named.  Along  the  east  side  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  vast  palace  ran  a  wide  processional 
road,  intended  for  religious  ceremonies,  etc.  At  one  point  this  road  contracts,  and  that  is  where  the 
double  gateway  was  erected  midway  between  the  palace  ard  Ishtar's  temple.  Miss  G.  Lowthian 
Bell,  who  visited  the  excavations  recently,  describes  this  gate  as  the  most  magnificent  fragment 
that  remains  of  all  Nebuchadnezzar's  constructions,  and  its  brick  towers,  which  the  German 
excavators  have  laid  completely  bare,  as  rearing  their  un1:)roken  height  in  stupendous  masses  of 


J'holo  by  pennissiaii  of\  [.Si/-  ir»»ia»«  Wilcox. 

THE     PALACE     OF    CTESIPHON. 
Only  the  enormous    vaulted  hall  and    part  of  the  east  wing  shown  here  are 
now    standing,    but    this    mighty    vaulting,   with  a  span  of  over    eighty-five    feet 
and  no  support  whatever,  is  a  triumph  of  architecture. 


Appendix 


893 


solid  masonry.  These  towers,  she  says,  "  are  decorated  on  every  side  with  alternate  rows  of  bulls 
and  dragons  cast  in  relief  in  the  bricks  ;  the  noble  strength  of  the  bulls,  stepping  out  firmly  with 
arched  neck,  contrasts  with  the  slender,  ferocious  grace  of  the  dragons,  and  the  two  companies  form 
a  bodyguard  worthy  of  the  gate  of  kings  and  of  gods."  Each  of  the  bricks  of  which  the  towers  are 
built  has  the  name  of  the  great  architect  Nebuchadnezzar  upon  it  ;  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  brick- 
tiles  which  line  the  walls  on  either  side  of  the  whole  Sacred  Way.  A  procession  of  lions  appears  on 
the.se  tiles,  which  are  enamelled  over  by  some  process  of  which  the  secret  is  lost.  When  the 
unearthing  of  Babylon  is  completed  we  shall  doubtless  have  many  additions  to  our  knowledge  of 
antiquity,  but  there  can  scarcely  be  anything  more  artistically  great  than  these  bas-reliefs  of  the 
Ishtar  Gate  and  Sacred  Way. 

Easter  Island  and  its  Stone  Colossi.— T^his  grim,  solitary  outpost  of  Eastern  Polynesia,  lying 
about  two  thousand  miles  from  the  South  American  coast,  receives  its  name  from  its  discovery  on 
Easter  Day,  in  1722,  by  the  Dutch  navigator  Roggewein.  Its  old  native  name  is  Te  Pito  0  te 
Henna — the  Umbilicus  Terrce,  or  Central  Point  of  the  Hernia,  or  Land-Tract — ^and  its  ordinary 
Polynesian  designation  is  Rapa-Nui,  or  Rapa  the  Great — in  contradistinction  to  Oparo,  or  Rapa- 
Iti — Little  Rapa — an  island  full  of  wonderful  ancient  fortifications,  which  lies  about  nineteen 
hundred  miles  to  the  westward. 

The  name  Rapa  in  the  Eastern  Polynesian  dialects  denotes  quarrying,  or  graving  with  a  cutting 
tool  of  any  kind  (cf.  Peruvian  lamfa,  a  spade  or  graving  tool).     In  Rarotongan  Rapa  i  te  tiki— 


Photo  by  permission  o/] 


[Sir  William  Wilcorts. 


A    BAS-RELIEF    ON    THE    GATE    OF    ISHTAR. 
The  Gate  of  Uhtar  ia  one  of  the  most    important    clij.;overies    made    amongst    the    ruins  of   Babylon.     It  is  the  most  magnificent 


fragment  that  remains  of  all  Nebuchadnezzar's  great  constructions.  The  tiles  of  which  the 
and  fitted  together  to  form  these  splendid  bas-reliefs.  Furthermore,  they  are  enamel 
secret  is  lost. 


vails  are  composed  are  raised  in  relief 
ed    over    by    a    process    of    which    the 


894 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


to  hew  out  an  image.  It  is  a  very  appropriate  name  for  this  lone  island,  with  its  hundreds  of 
monstrous  rude  trachyte  statues,  some  standing  erect,  some  lying  prostrate  in  the  quarries,  some 
elaborately  finished,  some  left  still  almost  entirely  in  the  rough,  just  as  if  a  deadly  epidemic  or  mighty 
cataclysm  of  nature,  sudden  and  destructive  as  a  lightning-flash,  had  fallen  on  the  builders  in  the 
midst  of  their  Titanic  labours. 

When  those  Polynesian  Vikings,  Hotu-Matua  and  Tuku-Io,  with  their  war-fleets  from  Oparo, 
landed  some  six  hundred  years  ago  at  Anakena  Bay,  they  found  the  remnant  of  a  giant  race  in 
possession,  whom  they  styled  the  Taringa  Roroa,  or  Long-Eared  Folk,  from  a  custom  they  had  of 
artificially  dilating  the  lower  lobe  of  the  ear  to  an  enormous  size. 

Hotu-Matua  and  his  Maori  warriors  these  Cyclopes  destroyed  after   a  long   and  obstinate  war. 

Some  of  the  women  were 
preserved,  and  seem  to  have 
handed  down  a  certain  amount 
of  ancient  legend  and  the 
interpretation  of  symbolical 
carvings  and  ancient  hiero- 
glyphs to  a  few  old  men 
amongst  the  scanty  popula- 
tion now  surviving.  Peruvian 
slavers  kidnapped  most  of 
the  natives  about  i860,  and 
when  the  Maison  Brander 
purchased  Easter  Island  for 
a  cattle-farm,  in  1878,  about 
half  of  the  survivors  were 
taken  away  to  the  Faaa 
district  in  Tahiti  and  to  Niu- 
Maru,  a  village  upon  Mo'orea, 
where  they  are  living  even  to 
this  day. 

The  Chilian  Government 
has  now  acquired  the  island, 
and  there  are  only  about 
three  hundred  natives  left, 
mostly  settled  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Hanga-Roa. 

The  stone  images,  or  Moai, 
number  over  five  hundred 
and  fifty,  and  vary  in  height 
from  a  prone  colossus  seventy 
feet  long  to  a  pigmy  statuette 
only  three  feet  from  chin  to 
base.  Most  of  them  are  found 
at  Rano  Roraka  and  at  Otu- 
Iti  at  the  north-east  end  of 
the  island.     They  are   mostly 

[_Th£  Umithwnian  Institute.  .  .  .    .i         i_  • 

OF   EASTER   ISLAND.  trunks  termmatmg  at  the  hips 

These    carvings  are    probably    the    earhest    known    8peci>Tiens  of    sculpture;   they  are  and  heWIl  OUt  01  gfCy  trachytlC 

found    in    considerable    numbers    hewn    out    of    the  grey  trachytic  basalt  of  this  solitary  i  -i.  ATamr    r\f     +Tipm     QfanH 

outpost   of    Eastern    Polynesia.  '  "^ 


Fhoto  by  permission  of} 

THE    STONE    COLOSSI 


[The  Smithsonian  Inttitute. 


Photo  bif  permission  o/] 

A    STONE     COLOSSUS    OF     EASTER     ISLAND. 
Mystery  .urrounds  th«c  mighty    Image,   .ome  of3which  are  .eventy  f«t  high;  while  legend  report,  them  to  have  been  carved 
by  a  race  of  giants.     The  features  are  those  of    a    race    that    has    long    since    passed    away,    leaving    behind    only    these     efhg.es    ol 
creatures  of 'monstrous,   inhuman,  godless  mind. 


89^  The  Wonders   of  the  World 

on  vast,  massive  seaward  platforms  from  two  hundred  to  three  hundred  feet  long.  Some  of  them 
are  ornamented  with  crowns  of  red  tufa-rock  cut  from  the  walls  of  the  crater  of  Te  Rano  Hau — 
the  Lake  of  the  Crowns.  Some  of  these  unwieldy  diadems  measure  over  ten  feet  across.  The 
visages  of  these  images  are  square,  stern  and  massive,  with  a  sullen,  proud,  menacing  and 
disdainful  expression.  The  lips  are  thin  and  cruel,  the  upper  one  very  short,  the  lower  thrust  up  in 
a  most  curious  manner.  The  ears  have  long  pendant  lobes ;  the  faces  are  distinctly  non- 
Polynesian. 

These  rude,  grim  statues  belong  to  a  far  earlier  age — the  Prediluvian.  Note  the  indescribably 
defiant  and  menacing  air,  the  sneering  Satanic  pride,  the  vast,  truculent,  ruthless  will  in  the  faces 
of  these  colossi,  each,  like  the  Cyclops  of  the  "  Odyssey," — a  creature  of  monstrous,  inhuman, 
godless  mind. 

The  Iron  Pillar. — The  particular  interest  of  this  plain  Iron  Pillar  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is 
the  oldest  example  of  wrought  iron  in  existence.  It  is  one  of  the  marvels  of  ancient  civilization, 
and  presents  to  modern  engineers  an  insoluble  problem,  how  such  a  massive  shaft  was  ever  forged 
without  the  aid  of  the  steam  hammer. 

The  Iron  Pillar  records  its  own  history  in  a  Sanscrit  inscription  of  six  lines.  For  the 
translation  of  this  we  are  indebted  to  the  patient  genius  of  the  late  Henry  Prinsep,  the  Oriental 
scholar. 

It  is  twenty-three  feet  in  height  and  about  sixteen  inches  in  diameter.  It  has  been  deeply 
indented  by  a  cannon-ball,  which  has  slightly  deflected  the  shaft.  Mr.  Prinsep  assigned  the 
inscription  to  the  third  or  fourth  century  a.d. 

The  Pillar  is  called  "  The  Arm  of  Fame  of  Rajah  Dhava."  He  is  said  to  have  subdued  a 
notable  people — the  Vahlikas,  and  with  his  own  might  obtained  an  undivided  sovereignty  over 
the  earth. 

There  are  several  picturesque  traditions  connected  with  the  Pillar.  According  to  one,  it 
was  erected  in  its  present  position  by  Anang  Pal,  founder  of  the  Tumar  Dynasty.  He  drove  its  foot 
through  the  head  of  a  huge  and  indignant  serpent,  pinning  it  fast,  and  thus  prevented  it  wreaking 
its  enmity  on  his  house.  As  long  as  the  serpent  remained  pegged  down,  the  legend  ran,  so 
long  the  Dynasty  would  endure.  And  it  did  so,  until  an  emperor  of  the  line,  moved  by  a 
dangerous  curiosity,  had  the  Pillar  torn  up  to  test  the  truth  of  the  story.  No  serpent  was  found 
beneath  it,  but  the  foot  of  the  Pillar  was  wet  with  blood.  And  the  fall  of  his  Dynasty  followed 
within  a  short  time. 

The  name  of  Anang  Pal  is  inscribed  on  the  shaft  with  the  date  1052  a.d. 

This  Pillar  stands  beneath  the  walls  of  the  Kutab  Minar,  on  that  plain  outside  Delhi 
which  is  strewn  with  the  wreck  and  ruin  of  cities  and  civilizations.  The  Kutab  Minar,  or 
Tower  of  Victory,  was  raised  by  the  Mohammedan  conquerors  of  Delhi,  who  thrust  out  the 
Hindu  rulers  and  left  of  their  city  no  stone  for  memorial  save  only  this  iron  shaft. 

But  time  brought  its  revenges,  and  the  oppressed  people  of  the  Pillar  at  length  drove  their 
Mohammedan  conquerors  from  the  land,  and  the  Hindu  Dynasty  was  once  more  on  the  throne. 


END   OF   VOL.    II. 


INDEX 


Aaheschlucht,  The,  or  Gorge  of  tlie 
Aaro  (Switzerland)        .  .       753, 754 

Abu,  Mount,  Jain  Temples  at    .  .     4-7 

Abu  Simbel  (India),  Colossal  Portrait 
Statues  of  Ramses  II.  at       .         404-407 

AcUa-Huasi,     The    (or    Sun-Virgins' 
Convent)  (Cuzco,  Peru)        .         650,  656 

Aconcagua,  Mount  (The  Andes)         .     669 

Acragas  .....     870 

Acropolis,  The  (Athens)  .  .     714 

Acropolis,  The  (Zimbabwe,  Rhodesia)     412 

Adam's  Peak,  The  Shadow  of  (Ceylon), 

181,  182,   184,  185 

Aden,  The  Tanks  at        .  466,  468 

Adelsburg  Cav&s,  The  (lUyria)  : 

Their  position       ....     774 
Four  views  of       .         .         .       776-779 

Agassiz  Column,  The  (Yosemite  Val- 
ley, U.S.A.)  .  .  .  .582 

Agra  (India) : 

The  Pearl  Mosque         .  225,  226,  228,223 

The  Taj  xMahal  jacing  p.  32 

and  pp.  38,  40,  42 

Ajanta   (India),    Rock    Temple   and 
Caves  at       ....      183-183 

Akad-Zib    ("  The    Mysterious    Writ- 
ing ")  (Chichen  Itza,  Yucatan)        .     640 

Akbar  (Sikandra) : 

Tomb  of  the  Emperor  .  .  65-BS 

Famous  saying  of  .  .  .     166 

-\laska.  Totem-poles         .  .  .     530 

Al-Azhar,  Mosque  and  University  of 
(Cairo)         ....       429-432 

Alcazar,  The  (Seville,  Spain)  : 

Courtyard  of  the  Maidens      .  .     758 

Arched  Doorway  .         .         .     759 

Hall  of  the  Ambassadors        .  .     760 

Courtyard  of  the  Dolls  .  .  .761 

Mudejar  Art         ....     762 

Alert    Bay,    Totem-poles    at    (Van- 
couver)     .  ...       528,  529 

Alexandria  (Egypt) : 

The  Pharos  .       Introductinn  ii.,  viii. 

The  Catacombs    .      Introduction  iv.,  viii. 

id.         id.  .  .       390-392 

Pompey's  Pillar   .  .  .       446-447 

Algeria  : 

Fortress  of  Constantine  .  .     370 

Its  Siege  and  Capture  by  the  French      id. 
Natural  Bridges  over  River  Rum- 

mel  ....  370,  371 
Lofty  Stone  Viaduct  .  .  .  372 
Grand  Mosque  (Tlemijeii)  .  437-440 
Hot  Cascade  and  Limestone  Ter- 
races of  Hammam  Maskutin  439-441 
Timgad,  Roman  Ruins  of  .  458^61 
Tlemjen,  Mosque  of  Sidi-bu-Medin 
at 467-470 


685 

.   686, 687 

688 

689 

690 

691 

689, 

692 

PAOB 

Algiers,  Street  of  The  Camels  at      425^27 
Alhambra,  The  (Granada,  Spain) : 

lacing  673 

Exterior  of  . 

Court  of  The  Lions 

Court  of  The  Myrtles     . 

Hall  of  The  Ambassadors 

Court  of  Justice    . 

Hall  of  The  Two  Sisters 

The  Lindaraja  .\lcove   . 
AUagalla  Mountains  (Ceylon),  Curious 

Lightning  effect  on        .         139,  140,  142 
Alsace  and  Lorraine  .  .  .     884 

Altar  of  Heaven,  The  (Peking),  .         60,  62 
Amber,  The  Deserted  City  of  (Raj- 

putana) 
Amenhotep  I.,  King  (Egypt) : 

Defeats  the  Hyksos  Invaders 

Foimds  XVIIIth  Dynasty      . 

Builds  splendid  Temple  at  Karnak 
Amenhotep  III..  King  : 

Builds  new  Pylons  at  Karnak 

Colossi  of.  at  Thebes 

Temple  of,  at  Luxor 
Amiens,  The  Cathedral  of : 

Description  of      . 

Its  noble  Gothic  architecture 

Its  ogival-arched  windows     . 

View  of  Western  Fajade  of    . 
Amphitheatre,  The  (Petra) 
Amphitheatres,        Ruined 

(ItaUca,  Seville)   . 
.\mritsar.    The    Golden    Temple    at 

(In(Ua)         .  .  .  .10, 12, 13 

Anan<la  Pagoda,  The  (Pagan,  Burma) 

6,  8,  9 
Ancient  Burial  Place  (Lima,  Peru)  .  656 
Andes  Mountains,  The  .       668-672 

View     of     Rimac      River      Gorge 
from  Oroya       ....     670 
Angkor,  Mighty  Ruins  of  (Cambodia) 

241-250 
Animal      Statues,      Colossal 

Tombs,  Peking)     . 
Antarctic  : 

An  Iceberg  in  the 

An  Ice-Cavern  in  the     . 

An  Ice-Fumarole  in  the 

Mount  Erebus 
Ant-Hill,  Giant  Termites 


69,    71 

.  361 
.  id. 
id. 

.  366 
434r436 
449-453 

.  834 
id. 
.  id. 
.  835 
.     193 


Roman 


700 


(Ming 


35,  36 

.      288, 289 
291-293 
.     306 
.      306-309 
Introduction  iv. 
Ant-Hill,  An  (Ikoko,  Congoland)       .     401, 

402,  404 
Antipodes  Islands,  The  (South  Pacific) : 
Their  situation  and  their  bird  life 

329,   331,   332 

Anuradhapura  (Ceylon) : 

The  Brazen  Palace         .  .      134-136 

The  RuanweU  Pagoda    .  .      201,  202 

Aorangi  (Mount  Cook,  New  Zealand)  .     273 


PAOB 
Aqueduct,  A  Roman  (Tmiis)  .  425,  426 
Aqueduct,     The    Roman     (Segovia, 

Spain)       .  ...       708-710 

-iqueduct  of  Claudius  (Rome)  .       799,  802 
Aragon,  Admiral  of  ...     868 

Arakan  Temple,  The  (Mandalay )     216-218 
Ara-tratra     Rapids,     The    (Waikato 

River,  New  Zealand)  .  282,  286,  287 
Arch  of  Constantine  (Rome)  .  .  797 
Arch  of  Septimus  Severus  (Rome)  .  791 
Arch  of  Titus  (Rome)       .         .         .798 

Arctic  Circle 870 

Arizona  (U.S.A.) : 
The     Grand     Canyon,     View      of 
j  facing  481 

Seven  views  of     .  .  .       481^84 

Pompey's  Pillar  ....  485 
Thor's  Hammer  ....  486 
View  of  brilliantly-coloured  strata 

of  Grand  Canyon       .  .  .487 

General  description  of  .  .       481^88 

Arizona  CUft-Dwellings  .  .     500 

Tree-hke     Stalagmites     in      Cave 

(Grand  View  Trail)    .  .  .502 

Red  Canyon  Trail  .  .  .       id. 

Hopi     Indian  Houses     (Northern 
Arizona),  Views  and  description 

of 505-508 

The  Petrified  Forest  of : 

Views  of  .  .  .       552-556 

Description  of  .  .  .       554-558 

The  Canyon  de  Chelly  : 
View  of  ....     577 

Description  of  .  .         .       577-580 

Navahoe      Indian     Cliff-Dwellings 

578-580 
Navahoe  Burial  Cist     .         .  .     581 

Kivas,  or  Circular  Chambers.  581-584 
The  Red  Crater  : 

View  of         ...  .         587 

Description  of  .         .         .       589,  590 
Settlements  of  Acoma  Indians  in 

Arizona   .....     608 
The  Havasu,  or  Blue  Water  Canyon  : 
Description  of  .         .         .       618-620 
View  of  ...       619-620 

The  Roosevelt  Dam : 

Description  of  .         .  .       622-626 

Views  of  .  .  .      623,624 

View  of  the  Gateway,  Blue  Canyon    625 

The  Blue  Canyon : 

View  of  ....     626 

Description  of  .         .         .      626,  628 

Wonderful  strata-colouring  of   .     628 

Kan,  or  Homes  of  Pima  Indians      .      id. 

Cliff-Dwellings,      Walnut     Canyon, 

Views  and  description  of  .       629-631 

Artemisia,  Queen      .  .  Introduction  vi. 

Asama-Yama,  Volcano  of  (Japan)       22-24 

58 


898 


The   Wonders  of  the  World 


PAGE 

Asoka,  The  Emperor  : 
Decorates  the  Sanchi  Tope  Sanc- 
tuary      .         .         .         .         48, 50 
Pillar  of  (at  Delhi)         .         .  84,  86 

Furthers  the  spread  of  Buddhism 
in  India   .  .  .         .  84,  86 

Aso-San,   The  Crater  of  (Japan)    13,   14 

101,  102 

Asphalt  Lake,  The  (Trinidad)  533,  534,  536 

Assisi,  St.  Francis  of         .         .         .     866 

Assouan  (Upper  Nile) : 
The  Great  Dam  of         .         .      418-420 
Its  position  at  head  of  First  Cataract    id. 
Its  vast  storage  capacity        .         .      id. 

Athenian  Archaeological  Society  .     880 

Athens  : 
The  Acropolis      .  .  .       714,  715 

The  Parthenon  .  .  716,  720,  721 
TheErectheon  .  .  .  717,721 
Theatre  of  Dionysos  .  718,  726,  728 
The  Propytea  .  .  .  719, 722 
Tower  of  the  Winds  .  .  720, 726 
The  Theseum  .  .  .  721,  724 
The  Temple  of  Olympian  Zeus  722,  725 
The  Odeon  .         .         .         .723 

The  Temple  of  Nike  Apteros  .  724 
The  Prison  of  Socrates  .  725,  726 
Temple  of  Theseus        .         .         .870 

Avalanche,  Effects  of  an  .         .         .     537 

Avenue  of  Pagodas  (Mandalay).      104,  105 

Axenstrasse,  The  (Eastern  Shore,  Lake 
of  Lucerne,  Switzerland) : 
Description  of      .         .         .       837-838 
The  Brunnen-Fliielen  Military  Road    837 
Tunnels  and  galleries  of         .  .      id. 

Tellsplatte  and  Legend  of  William 

Tell id. 

View  of  Axenstrasse  from  south  of 
Tellsplatte        .         .         .         .838 

Ayasuluk  (Ephesus)  .  Introduction  vi. 

Ayer's    Peak    (The    Grand    Canyon, 
Colorado  River,  North  America)    .     482 

Ayuthia  (Siam) : 

The  Ruined  City  of        .         .  82-84 

Bronze  Buddha-statue  at       .    81,  83,  84 

B 

Baalbek   (Syria),    The    Ruins     of 

Introdnction  ix. ;  and  161-166 
Babylon,     Walls  and  Hanging  Gar- 
dens    of  .  .     Introduction  ii. 
Badri  Das  Temple  (Calcutta)    .         .     127 
Bahama  Islands  (Silk  Cotton  Tree) 

526-527 
Balanced  Rock  (Garden  of  the  Gods, 

Colorado,  U.S.A.)  .  .  .566 
Bamboos,  Giant  (Ceylon)  .  34,  37 

Banyan  Tree,  Great  (Calcutta)  16-18 

Baobab,  Huge  Tree  (Rhodesia)     428,429 
Baptistery    and    Leaning   Tower  of 

Pisa,  The  (Italy),  View  of  .  .  864 
Barrington  Charles  ....  883 
Basaltic  Rocks  ....  872 
Bas-reliefs,  Cambodian    .         .       247, 250 


PAGK 

Beauvais  Choir,  The  (France) : 

Description  of      .  .  .       826-829 

Flying  buttresses  of      .  .  .     826 

Elegance  of  apsidal  end         .  .     828 

Splendid  stained-glass  windows  of  828,829 
Bellaraar  Caves,  The  (Cuba)  .  532-534 
Belvedere,     The     (Mount     Palatine, 

Rome) 804 

Benedict  XIV.,   Pope,  preserves   the 

Coliseum      .  .  Introdnction  viii. 

Berlin 884 

Bermuda  (Coral  Reefs)    .  .       -539-540 

Berne  Canton  ....     881 

Bethlehem,  Shrine  of  the  Manger        .    150, 

155, 156 
Biggest  Tree  in  the  World,  The 

Introduction    viii. 
Bijapur  (India),  The  Gol  Gumbaz,  or 

Great  Dome         .  .  .       237, 239 

Bingyi  Caves  (Burma)  119,  120,  121, 122 
Black  Temple,  The  (Kanarak,  India)  237 
Blow-Hole,  A,  in  Coral  Reef  (Samoa) 

310,  312 
Blow-Hole,  The  (Karapiti,  New  Zea- 
land)   301, 302 

Blue    Mountains,    The    (New    South 

Wales)    .         .         .        277,278,279 

Their  geological  construction         .     277 

Sassafras  GuUey  ....       id. 

JJount  Hay  ....       id. 

Grose  Valley         ....       id. 

Lawson        .  .  .  .  .id. 

King's  Tableland  .  .  .278 

Wentworth  Falls  .  .         .      id. 

Leura  Falls  ....       id. 

Orphan  Rock       ....      id. 

Govett's  Leap      ....       id. 

Mermaid's  Cave    ....      id. 

WoUondilly  Caves,  The      .      .     303,304 

Wombeyan  Caves,  The      .      .     302-304 

Yarrangobilly  Caves,  The  293,  294,  296 
BoiUng  Lake,  The  (White  Island,  New 

Zealand)  ....  324,325 
Bologna  (Italy) : 

Its  early  history  ....     785 

The  Two  Leaning  Towers  of  .  .  786 
Bologna,  Giovanni  da       .  .  .     866 

Bopoto  (N.  Congo,  Equatorial  Africa), 

Lightning  Flash  at        .  .  .     465 

Borneo  : 

Dyak  Idols  .         .         .       316, 317 

Village  of  Sea-Dyaks  .  .  314, 316 
Boro-Bodoer,  Temple  of  (Java)  .       14 

Boro-Bodoer  (Bara-Budha),  or  Great 
Buddha  Temple  of  (Java)  : 

24, 25,  26,  27 

Discovery    of,    by    Sir    Stamford 
Raffles  ....       25 

Its  pyramidal  shape      ...      25 

Its  five  terraces  ....       26 

Beautiful  friezes  and  bas-reliefs   .       26 

Latticed  dagobas 

Mysterious  rough-hewn    statue  at      26 
summit  ....       26 

Pretty  legend  of  its  foundation      .       26 


Botanical  Gardens,  The  Government 
(Peradeniya,   Kandy,   Ceylon)        34,  36 

Botanical  Wonder,  A  (Kyoto,  Japan) 

102,  103,  104 

Bounty  Island  (S.  Pacific) : 
Penguins  on        ...         .     331 
Penguins'  Cave  on       .         .         .     332 

Brazen  Palace,  The  (Anuradhapura, 
Ceylon)        .         .         .        134,  135, 136 

Bridge,  The  Inca  (Carchi  River,  Andes 
Mountains).  ....     661 

(Argentina)  .  .  .       661-663 

Bridge,  A  Wonderful  (Tsang-Po 
River,  Tibet)        .         .         .  12-14 

Bridge  of  Sighs  (Venice),  The    .  .     741 

Bridge,  The  Great  (Isfahan,   Persia) 

235,  236 

Broken  Column,  The  (Blackboy  Hol- 
low Cave,  West  Australia)     .         .     337 

Bronze  Cannon,  Huge  (Bijapur,  India) 

175,  178 

Brothers,  The  Three  (Yosemite)         .     584 

Bruges,  Belfry  of     .  .  .  .874 

Buddha,  Giant  Statue  of  ( Kamakura, 
Japan)         ....     facing  97 

Buddha,  Statue  (Yung-Hsien)  .  .       10 

Buddhas,  Stone  (Daiya  River,  Nikko) 

42,  43,  44 

Buddha,  Image  of  the  Sleeping  (Wat 
Po  Temple,  Bangkok)   .  .  .197 

Buddha,  Great  Golden  Image  of  The 
(Lhasa)       .         .         .       213,  214,  216 

Buddha,  Statue  of  (Buddhgaya), 
commemorating  Prince  Gautama's 
Conversion  under  the  Fig-tree         .     229 

Buddha  Statue  (Kiatang,  China) 

7,  9,  10 

Buddha,  Giant  (Kiatang,  China)        .         7 

Buddha  Statues  (Bingyi  Caves, 
Burma)       .  .     119,    120,    121,    122 

Buddha,  Statue  of  (Pegu)        14,  15,  16,  17 

Buddhgaya,  Temple  of   .  .       227,229 

Buddhist  Rork  Temples  (EUora,  India) 

31,  32 

Buildings,  Stupendous  Modern  (New 
York  City)  .  .  .       488^94 

Bujuku,  Lake  (Central  Africa)  . 

facing   449 

Burgundy,  Dukes  of       .         .         .     874 

Burial  Chamber  of  King  Khufu  (Great 
Pyramid,   Egypt)       349,  351,  352,  354 

Burial  Cist,  Navahoe         .  .  .     581 

Burial  Platforms,  Indian  (Pine  Forest, 
British  Columbia)        .         .       627-629 

Burning  Ghats,  The  (Benares)     53,  56,  58 


0 


Cairo  (Egypt) : 

View  of 380 

Citadel  of 381 

Mosque  of  Muhammad  All  at         .   382, 

384,  385 
Interior  of  Mosque        ....     383 


Index 


899 


PAGE 

Cairo  (Egypt) — continued. 
Derivationof  the  City's  name  .       id. 

Fountain  in  Court  of  Mosque  .  384 
Tombs  of  the  Mamluks  at  .  413-415 
Tombs  of  the  Caliphs  at  facing  417 
Mosque  of  University  of  Al-A?,har 

at 429-432 

Tombs  of  Mamluk  Sultans  at     447,448 

Calatafini 870 

Calcutta  (India),  Great  Banyan  Tree 

at 16-18 

Calvary  (Jerusalem) : 
Site  of        ...         .       204-206 
Its  discovery  by  General  Gordon   .     205 
Cambodia  (Indo-China) : 

Establishment  of  Buddhism  in  .  241 
Resemblance  of  its  Architecture  to 

that  of  Ceylon  ....       id. 
Its     Antiquities     and    wonderful 
Ruins      ....       241-250 
Campanile  of  St.  Mark's  (Venice) 

Introduction  x. 

Canary  Islands,  The : 

Massacre  of  Guanche  aborigines     .     440 

Huge  native  breed  of  dogs     .         .     441 

Description  and  view  of  Orotava 

and  the  Peak   .         .         .         .     442 

Cane  Bridge,  Giant  (Sikkim).143,  147,  149 

Cannibal  Temple  (New  Guinea)    297,  298, 

300 
Canton  (Cliina) : 
Statue  of  Marco  Polo  at         .  27-30 

The  Water-Clock  at  .  .  72,74,75 
Temple  of  the  Five  Hundred  Genii 

at 85-87 

Temple  of  the  Five  Genii  at  168, 172, 173 
Canyon  : 
The  Grand  (Colorado  River,  North 
America)    facing    481 ;    and    481-487 


Manco's  (Colorado) 

.     499 

de   Chelly   (New   Mexico) 

577-580 

Weber's  (Utah)  . 

597, 598 

Cape  Town  (South  Africa) : 

View  of       .... 

.     375 

General  description  of. 

377-381 

Capitol,    The   (Washington,    U.S.A.) 

503-505 

Capri : 

The  White  Grotto 

.     764 

The  Blue  Grotto  . 

.     765 

The  Natural  Arch 

.     766 

Description  of  beauties  of 

766,  767 

Capuchin   Monks,   Cemetery   of 

the 

Introduction  v. 

Caracalla,  The  Baths  of  (Rome) 

801-803 

Carcassonne  (Southern  France) : 

The  Ramparts  of 

.     862 

Its  Siege  by  Simon  de  Montfort 

.     863 

Fortifications  of  the  Old  Town 

.       id. 

Carnac,  Druidical  Remains  at  (near 
Auray,  Quimper-Nantes  Railway, 
Brittany) : 
Description  of      .         .         .       853, 854 
Origin  of  name     ....     854 
Its  Six  Hundred  Menhirs      .         .      id. 


P.\OE 

Alignments    of    M^nec,     Kermario 
and  Kerlescant  .         .         .      id. 

Two  imposing  Menhirs  .       854,  855 

Caroline  Islands,  The  Eastern  (Ger- 
man Micronesia) : 

Great  Island-Venice  of  Nan-Matal 

278-285 

Nan-Taudch,  Sanctuary  of    .         .     281 

Early  Javanese,  Malay  and  Japan- 
ese immigration  to  .         .      282, 285 

Cyclopean   Ruins   on  Lele   Island 

282,  285 
Carthage  (North  Africa) : 

Natural  Rock-Garden  at       .         .     376 

Garden  in  front  of  Museum    .  .     377 

Triangular  Phoenician  Tomb  at     .     378 

History  of 381 

French   Missionary  Settlement   by 
Order  of  White  Fathers  at         .     382 
Carthaginians  ....     870 

Casa   Blanca   (Navahoe   Ruins,    New 

Mexico) 579 

Catacombs  of  the  Cappuccini     .  .     868 

Catacombs,  The  (Alexandria,  Egypt) : 

Introduction  iv.,   viii. 

Description  and  views  of      .      390-392 

(Guanajato,  Mexico)    .         .       559-562 

Catania 869 

Cathedral   Peaks,   The   (Lake  Mana- 

pouri.  New  Zealand)  .  .  .  342 
Cathedral  Spires,  The  (Garden  of  the 

Gods,  Colorado)  .  .  .  .563 
Cave  of  Macpelah  (Hebron)  .  142,143 
Cayster,  The  River  .  .    Introduction  vi. 

Ceiba  Tree,  Giant  (Bahama  Islands)  .  527 
Cellini,  Benvenuto  .  .  .  .  878 
Cemetery  of  Capuchin  Monks,  Skull 

ornamentation  of .  .     Introduction  v. 

Cenotes,     or     Natural      Reservoirs 

(Yucatan)         .         .         .         .639 

Human  sacrifices  in       .         .         .      id. 
Chseronea,    The    Lion    of    (Bceotia, 
Greece) ; 

Description  of      .         .         .      833, 834 

Marking  site  of  Philip  of  Macedon's 
Victory  over  Athenian,  Theban 
and  Boeotian  patriot-army  .       id. 

View  of 834 

Champagne  Pool,  The  (Wairakei,  New 

Zealand)  ....  337,340 
Chares,  The  Sculptor  .  Introduction  vi. 
Chasm,     The     Leaping    (Wisconsin, 

U.S.A.) 531 

Che  Hwang,  The  Emperor    Introduction  ix. 

Commences  building  Great  Wall  of 
Cliina      .         .         .         .         .id. 
Chi-chan-chob  ("  The  Red  House  ") 

(Chichen  Itza,  Yucatan)         .  .     640  i 

Chichen    Itza,    City    of    (Yucatan), 

Ruins  at      .  .  .  .       634-640 

Cliiraborazo,  Mount  (Ecuador)  .  .     669 

Chimes,  Finest  in  Europe  .  .  874 
China,  The  Great  Wall  of  .  .     ■ 

Introduction  viii.,  ix. 
Christ,  Traditional  Tomb  of  Introduction  i. 


Chumbi  Valley,  Frozen  Waterfall  in 

the  (Tibet)  ....  8,  10 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  (Jerusa- 
lem)          202-204 

Claus   Spreckel's   Building,  The  (San 

Francisco)    ....      572-574 
Cleopatra  Terrace  (Yellowstone  Park, 

U.S.A.) 493 

Cliff-Dwellings,  Hopi  Indian  (Manco's 
Canyon,   Colorada)        Introduction  xiv. ; 
and  498-502 
Kiva,  or  Sacred  Rooms,  in      .  .     501 

(Arizona)  ....  500, 501 
Granary  of  Cliff-dwellers  .  574,  575 
(Canyon  del  Muerto,  Colorado)  .  578 
(Walnut  Canyon,  Arizona)  .  029,  631 
Cloud-Formation,  Remarkable  (Cali- 
fornia) ....  510,511 
Coliseum,  or  Colosseum,  The  (Rome) 

Iittroductioti  iv.,  viii. 
Cologne  Cathedral  (Germany) : 

Description  of       .         .         .      777, 778 
View  of        ....          .     780' 
Colossal   Head  (Cancun  Island,  Yuca- 
tan)     635 

Colossal  Stone  Figures  (Ming  Tombs, 
Peking)       ....  33,34 

Colosseum,  The  (Rome)    794-790,  800,  801 
Colossi,  Easter  Island       .         .         .     894 
Colossus  of  Rhodes,  The   Introduction,  ii.,  vi. 
Column  of  Phocas,  The  (Rome)         .     790 
Como,  Guide  Bigarelli  da  .  .     866 

Concha  d'Oro  .  .  .  .     868 

Congo,    Northern,  Thunderstorms   in 

(Equatorial  Africa)        .  .      465, 466 

Constantine  the  Great   builds  Church 
of    St.    Sophia    at    Constantinople 

Introduction  xii. 
Constantinople  (Turkey) : 
Situation  and  Environs  of      .         .     770 
Santa  Sophia       ....     772 

Hall  of  1,003  Columns    .         .       773,774 
The  Hippodrome  of  Philistus         .     774 
Interior  of  Santa  Sophia         .  .     775 

Convent  of  Virgins  of  the  Sun  (Cuzco, 
Peru)  ....      650,  656 

Cook,  Mount  (New  Zealand)      .       273,  274 
Copan,  MonoUtliic  Stelae  of  (Central 
America)      .  .         ...  .     641 

Copper     Tools      used     by     .\ncient 
Egyptians  ....     353 

Cora 878 

Coral-Uke  Silicates  (New  Zealand)  .  269 
Coral-Formation  (Bermuda)      .  540 

Coral-Reef,  A  (Samoa)      .  .      309, 310 

Coral-Rock  Formation  (Bermuda)     .     540 
Cordova  Cathedral,  Views  and  descrip- 
tion of  (Spain)     .         .         .       705-708 
Cori-Cancha,  The  ("  Precinct  of  Gold," 

Cuzco,  Peru)         .  .  .  .653 

Corinth,  Canal  through  the  Isthmus 

of 712 

Corner-stone,  Enormous  (Cuzco,  Peru)  662 
Cotopaxi,  Mount  (Ecuador)  .  649,650 
Court  of  Mosque  (Al-.'Vzhar,  Cairo)     .     431 


900 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


FAOE 

Crater  Lake  (Oregon)        .         .         .     539 

Crater-Lakes     of     North    Germany, 
The    (Eifel    District,    near    the 
Moselle) : 
General  Description  of  .       846-852 

Lake  Pulvermaar,  or  Powder  Lake  848 
Lovely  Village  of  Mauderscheid  .  849 
Extinct  Volcano  of  The  Mosenberg,      id. 

View  of 852 

CliSs  and  Lava-flow  at  Horngraben  850 
The  Three  Daun  Lakes  .  .       id. 

Legend  of  Weinfeldermaar    .  .       id. 

Lake  Schalkenmeerenmaar  .     851 

The  Laacher  See  ...     852 

Criptoporticns       of     Tiberius,      The 
(Rome) 801 

Crocodile  and  Hawk  Worship  (Egypt)    476 

Cross,  Discovery  of  the  Holy     .  .     202 

Cross,  Mount  of  the  Holy  (The  Rockies, 
Colorado)      ....      508-510 

Crystal  Floor,  The  (YalUngup  Caves, 
West  Australia)    .  .  .  .335 

Culebra    Cut,    The    (Panama   Canal) 

642,   644,   645,   646 

Cuzco,  Inca  Ruins  of  (Peru)       .      650-658 
A  Street  in 655 

Cyclone,  Photograph  of  a  (Oklahoma, 
U.S.A.)         .  .  .  Introduction   xi. 

Cyclopean  Walls,  Ancient : 

On  Ponape  Island         .  .       280,281 

On  Lele  Island     .  .  .       282,285 

At  Cuzco  (Peru)  .         .  .  .650 

At  Tarragona       .  .  .  .787 

At  Tiryns     .         .         .      726,  728,  729 

Cyprus-Tree,  A  Giant  (Tule,  Oaxaca, 
Mexico)       .  .         .  Introduction  viii. 


DAOOB.ts,       Latticed     (Boro-Bodoer 

Temple,  West  Java)      .  .  25,  26 

Dai-Butsu,    The    Giant    (Kamakura, 

Japan)         ....    facing  97 
Dareheib  (Eastern  Egypt) : 

Arab  Sheikh's  Tomb  at  .  .     396 

Inscriptions  describing  ancient  min- 
ing operations  at        .         .  .     397 
Darius,  The  Palace  of  (PersepoUs)      .     212 
Darjiling,  Sacred  Cave  at           .  .     206 
Derivation  of  name        .          .  .      id. 
Dead  Sea,  The  (Palestine)           .       185-187 

Decharme 878 

Deer  Tower,  The  (India)   .  .  96,  97 

Delhi  (India) : 

The  Kutab  Minar  .  .  18,  19 

The  Pearl  Mosque  .  .    facing  161 

Sacred  Tank  at    .  .  .         .229 

Hall  of  Audience  .  .  .      230-233 

Demeter,  Temple  of  .  .  .     878 

Demetrius  of  Phalerum     .  .  .     881 

Dendera,  Ruins  of  (Upper  Egypt) : 

Portico  of  Temple  of  Hathor  at  .  473 
Bas-reliefs  ....  474,475 
Giant  Columns  at  ...     476 


PAOB 
Deodar  Bridge,  The  (Srinagar,  Kash- 
mir)     ....     149,  154,  155 
Der-al-Bahri,     Temple     of     Queen 

Hatshopsitu  at  (Thebes,  Egypt)      .     436 
Devil's  Bridge,  The  (Waiotapu,  New 

Zealand)       ....     289,  293 
Diamonds  and  Diamond  Mining  : 
History  of    .  .  .  .       406-408 

Cluster  of  Rough  Diamonds   .  .     409 

Diamond  Mine,  The  Premier  (Trans- 
vaal) : 
Description  of      .         .         .       479-480 

View  of 479 

CulUnan  Diamond  discovered  at     .       id. 
Diana,  Temple  of  (Ephesus) 

Introduction  ii.,  v. 

Dickens 866 

Diehl,  Charles  .  .         .880 

Dilwarra  Temples  (Rajputana).  .         4 

Djokdja-Karta,  Tlovm  of  (West  Java)       25 
Dobsina,  The    Ice-Caverns  of  (Hun- 
gary) : 

View  of 860 

Ice-Stalactite        .  .  .  .861 

Doge's  Palace,  The  (Venice)      .         .     736 
Dolmen,  Development  of  the     .  .     348 

Dragon's  Mouth,  The  (Wairakei,  New 

Zealand)      ....      337,341 
Drakenberg  Mountains,   The   (South 
Africa) : 
Strange  Peaks  in  .  .  .       408,  410 

Geological  formation  and  history  of 

409,  410 
Druidical    Temples,     Early     British 

(Stonehenge)        .          .    Introdtiction   iv. 
Dufour 876 


Eagle's  Head,  The  (Arizona)  .  .     556 

Earth- Pillars,     Curious     (Canton    of 
Valais,  Switzerland)     .  .       710-712 

Easter  Island  (Eastern  Polynesia) : 

Colossal  Stone  Statues  of       .  .     894 

Prediluvian    Giants    the    probable 

artificers  .....     894 
Inscribed  Hieroglyphical  Tablets    .     894 
Their  probable  connection  with  pre- 
Incarial  Andean  civilization        .     896 

Edfu,  Temple  of  (Upper  Egypt) : 

Description  of       .  .  .     476-479 

Conflict  between  Set  and  Hor  wor- 
shippers at        ...  .     476 
Pylon  of  Ptolemy  III.  at        .          .     477 
Entrance  to  Hypostyle  Hall  .          .     478 
Edfu  a  Gold-City           .          .          .       id. 

Egmont,  Mount  (New  Zealand)     304,305 

Egypt : 
The    Pyramids    of  Introduction    ii. 

The  Three  Pyramids  of  Giza        345-356 
The  Great  Pyramid  of  King  Khufu 

or  Cheops         .  .  348-354 

The  Second  Pyramid  of  King  Khaf- 
ra  or  Chephren  354-356 


The  Third  Pyramid  of  King  Men- 

kau-ra  or  Mycerinus  354, 355 

The  Sphinx  facing  353 ;  and  356-359 
Ruins  of  Karnak  (Thebes)  .  358-370 
Island  of  Phila;  and  its  Ruins  385-390 
PrevaiUng  Ijmestone  Formation  of 

Egypt 390 

The  Catacombs  of  Alexandria  390-392 
Dareheib,  Ancient  Inscriptions  at  .  397 
The  Oasis  of  Siwah  .  .  .398 
Obelisk   of    King    Usertsen   I.    at 

Heliopolis  .  .  .  398,399 
Sakkara,  Gigantic  Statue  of  King 

Ramses  III.  at  .  .  .  399 
Cairo,  Tombs  of  the  Mamluks  at  413^15 
Cairo,  Tombs  of  the  Caliphs  at  facing  417 
Conquests  of  King  Ramses  III.  .  417 
Cult  of  Hapi,  the  Sacred  Bull  422-424 
Sakkara,    The    Step-Pyramid    and 

Serapeion  at  .  .  .  423-425 
Der-al-Bahri   (Thebes),  Temple  of 

Queen  Hatshopsitu  at         .  .     436 

Thebes,  Tombs  of  the  Kings  at  443-446 
Thebes,  Tomb  of  King  Seti  I.  at  .  445 
Alexandria,  Pompey's  Pillar  at  446,  447 
Dendera,   Ruins  of       .  .       473-476 

Edfu,  Ruins  of   .  .  .       476-479 

Eiger 881, 883 

El  Capitan  Rock  (Yosemite,  U.S.A.) 

584, 585 
Elephant  Frieze,  Splendid  (The  Black 

Temple,  Kanarak)         .  .         .238 

Elephanta,  Temples  at  (Bombay),  54,  55, 

56,  58 
Eleusis  ......     878 

El  Khasneh,  Rock  Temple  of  (Petra)  63,  64 
Elliott   Glacier,   The   (Mount   Hood, 

Oregon,  U.S.A.),  four  views  of       .     595 

Ellora,  Rock  Temple  of  (India  .  30-32 

England,  Wool  an^  Cloth  Trade  of    .     874 

Enoshima,    The    Sponge    Rocks    at 

(Japan)        ....       126-128 

Ephesus,  Temple  of  Diana  at    . 

Introduction  ii.,   vi. 
Equatorial   Africa,    The  Active  Vol- 
canoes of : 
Description    of  .  .       461-465 

German  and  British  exploration  of  461 
Kirunga-Namlagira       .  .       462,463 

Kirunga-cha-Gongo       .      462,  464,  465 
Erebus,  Mount  (The   Antarctic)    306-309 
Escurial,  The  (Spain)  : 
Description  of      .         .         .       838-840 
A  Famous  Monastery  and  Mauso- 
leum of  Spanish  Kings        .  .     838 
Its  building  by  King  PhiUp  II.      .      id. 
Its  dedication  to  St.  Laurence     .       id. 

View  of 839 

Etna,  Mount  (Sicily) : 

Description  of      .  .  .       817, 818 

Views  of       .  .  .       817, 818, 819 

Everest,  Mount  (Himalayas)    .       106-108 
Excelsior    Geyser,    The    (Yellowstone 

Park,  U.S.A.)       .  .         .  .570 

Eyriks-jokull  .  .  .         .874 


Index 


901 


F 


Falls,  The  Juanacatlan  (Mexico)     .     558, 

560,  561 

Falls,  The  Kaieteur  (British  Guiana)    673 

Falls,  The  Niagara  (U.S.A.) 

Introduction  xii.,  545-554 
View  of,  in  winter  .  .  .  545 
View  of,  by  night  .         .         .     546 

Falls,  The  Sutherland  (New  Zealand) 

facing  289 ;  and  290,  292 

Falls,  The  Twin  (Yoho  Valley)  .  .     536 

Faroe  Islands  ....     872 

Fatima's   Shriue   (Kum,    Persia)     190-192 

Faulhorn 883 

Fetish  Houses  (Ibadan,  Yoruba-land, 
West   Africa)       .         .         .       446-448 

Fingal's  Cave  (Staffa  Island),  Basaltic 
Pillars    at   .  .  .  .       752,  753 

Five  Hundred  Deities,  Shrine  of  the 
(Canton,  China)    ....       27 

Five  Hundred  Disciples,  Images  of  the 
(Okitsu,  Japan)    .  .  .  58-60 

Five  Hundred  Genii,  Temple  of  the 
(Canton,  China)   .         .         .  85-87 

Flanders,  Counts  of  .  .  .     874 

Florence 866 

Floren.'e,  View  of  the  City  of     .  .     828 

Florence,  The  Cathedral  of : 

Description  of      .  .  .       829-831 

Designed  by  Arnolfo  di  Cambio  828-831 
Its  profuse  Exterior  Decoration  .  831 
Giotto's  Tower  .  .  .  .829 
Splendid  Cupola  by  Brunelleschi    .     831 

Footprints  in  stone.  Curious  great  .     184 

Forth  Bridge,  The  (Scotland) : 
Description  of     .         .         .       852, 853 
View  of 853 

Fortress,  The  Inca  (Cuzco,  Peru)      .     653 

Forty-seven   Ronins,   Graves  of    the 
(Tokyo,  Japan)  165,  166,  168,  169 

Forum,  The  (Rome)  .  .  .789 

Fossil  Footprints  (Nevada,  U.S.A.)      630, 

632,  634 

Franz  Josef  Glacier,  The  (New  Zea- 
land) ....       311-313 

Frozen  Waterfall,  A  (Chumbi  Valley, 
Tibet) 8,  10 

Fuji,  Mount,  or  Fuji-Yama  (Japan)  73,  75, 

76,  78 

Fung-Shui,  Curious  Chinese  supersti- 
tion of         .         .         .         .         46,47 


G 


Galileo 868 

Garden  of  the  Gods,  The  (Colorado, 
U.S.A.),    Wonderful   rock  scenery 

of 561-566 

Garden  Tomb,  The  (Jerusalem)       204-206 

Garibaldi 870 

Gautama,    Prince,   makes   the   Great 

Renunciation        ....     229 
Genoa     ....  .874 


Geyser,  The  Wai-Mangu  (New  Zea- 
land) Introduction  iii. ;  and  332-334 
Geyserland,  The   New  Zealand     266-273 


Glorious  scenery  of 

id. 

Geysers  : 

New  Zealand  : 

The  Giant's  Cauldron 

270 

TheKereru 

id. 

The  Pohutu      . 

272 

The  Te  Roto-a-Tamaheke  . 

270 

The  Wai-kite    . 

id. 

The  Wai-koro-hihi     . 

id. 

The  Wai-Mangu        .         .       ,332-334 

TheWai-Roa   .         .         .       267-269 

The  Whaka-rewarewa        .       266, 271 

Yellowstone  Park  (U.S.A.): 

The  Artemisia 

570 

The  Bee-Hive  . 

id. 

The  Black  Growler    . 

523 

The  Constant   . 

id. 

The  Excelsior  . 

570 

The  Giant 

id. 

The  Giantess    . 

id. 

The  Grand 

id. 

The  Great  Fountain          faciru. 

513; 

and  524 
The  Grotto  .  .  .  .569 
The  Lone  Star  .         .         .618 

The  Morning  Glory  (brilliant  blue 

sinter-strata)         .         .         .     573 

The  "  Old  Faithful " .         .       570,  571 

Bunsen's  theory  on  formation  of  .     569 

Geysir 873 

Giant  Bells   of  the   World,  List  of 

the 139 

Giant  Buddha  Statue  : 
(Kiatang,  China)  ....        7 
(Pegu)         ....  14,  16 

(Kamakura,   Japan)     .  .    facing  97 

Giant's  Causeway,  The  (County  An- 
trim, Ireland) : 

Legend  of 769 

Columnar  Basaltic  formation  of  770-771 
Giant  Trees  (California)  .       588-594 

Gibraltar  (Spain) : 
Description  of  694,  696,  697,  699 

Origin  of  name  ....  696 
Strategical  importance  of  .  .  id. 
Galleries  and  fortifications  of  .       id. 

General  view  of    .  .  .  .     699 

Giotto 866 

Giralda,  The  (Seville)       .         .      712, 713 

Girgenti  .....     868 

Girgenti,  Temple  of  Concord      .         .     869 

Glacier  : 

The  Tasman  (New  Zealand)      274-276 

The  Franz  Josef  (New  Zealand)  311-313 

The  Muir  (Alaska)        .         .      575, 576 

The  Elliot  (Mount  Hood,  Oregon) 

595-598 
The  Aletsch  (Switzerland)  778,  781,  782 
The  Brigsdaal  (Norway)         .     788,  789 
Glacier      Garden,      The      (Lucerne, 

Switzerland)     .         .         .         .840 
Monument  of  the  Lion  of  Lucerne      id. 


P.40B 

Glaciers : 
America : 
The     Elliott     (Moimt     Hood, 

Oregon)        ....     595 

The  Muir  (Alaska)    .  .  .576 

The    Paradise   (Mount   Tacoma, 

Rocky  Mountains)  .         .     516 

New  Zealand       .         .         .       274-297 

The  Tasman        .         .         .       274-276 

Glacier-Table,  A  (Little  Tibet)      133-135 

Golden     Temple,      The      (Amritsar, 

India)  ....  10-13 

Gol  Gumbaz,  The  (Bijapur,  India)  237,  239 
Gomatesvara   Statue,   The   (Seringa- 

patam.  South  India)     ...       30 
Gondwana,  Lost  Tropical  Continent  of 

406-408 
Gordon's  Calvary  (Jerusalem)  204-206 
Gorge  of  the  Amon  (Palestine)  174, 177, 178 
Gomer  Glacier         ....     876 


(Sierra 

.  575 

River, 
facing  481 

.  481 

.  482 
id. 

.  483 

.  484 

.  id. 

.  485 

.  486 

.  id. 

.  487 


Granary     of     CUff-Dwellers 

Madre,  Mexico)    . 
Grand  Canyon,  The  (Colorado 
North  America) 

Gigantic  cliffs  of  . 

Geological  formation  of 

Hance's  Trail 

Four  views  of 

Parti-coloured  rocks  of 

Natural  towers  and  buttes 

Pompey's  Pillar   . 

Major  Powell's  exploration  0 

Thor's  Hammer    . 

Imposing  natural  terraces  of 
Granite    Boulders,    Huge    (Jabalpur, 

India)  .         .         .     148,  153,  154 

Granite  Walls,  The  (Milford  Sound, 

New  Zealand)      .         .         .         .326 
Great  Bell,  The  : 

(Peking)      ....  91,92 

(Chio-Nin  Temple,  Kyoto,  Japan)  137-139 

of  Mingiin  (Mandalay)  .      221,223 

Great  Dam,  The  (Assouan,  River  Nile), 

Two  Views  of        .         .         .     418, 419 
Great  Mosque,  The  (Constantinople) 

Introduction     x. 

Great   WaU   of   China,    The         .     Intro- 

duction  iv.,   viii.  ;   and  1,   2,   4 

Grindelwald    .....     881 

Grotto     Geyser,    The    (Yellowstone 

Park,  U.S.A.)       .         .         .         .569 
Guadalhorce,  Gorge  of  the  (Malaga, 

Spain)  ....     700,701 

GwaUor,  Fortress  of  (India)        .     236,  237 


Halicabnassus,  Mausoleum  of  Queen 
Artemisia  at  (Asia Minor)  Introduction  ii. 

HaU  of  Audience,  The  (Delhi,  India)  . 

230-233 

Hall  of  the  Winds,  The  (Jeypore, 
India)         ....  77,78 

Halles,  Les 874 


902 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


PAGE 

Hammam  Maskutin,  Hot  Cascade  and 
Limestone  Terraces  of  (Eastern 
Algeria)       ....       439-441 

Hamonga  Trilithon,  The  (Tonga, 
South-West  Polynesia)  .       296-29b 

Hanging     Gardens,     The     (Babylon) 

Introduction   ii. 

Hanging  Rock,  The  (Yosemite  Valley, 
U.S.A.)        .  .  .  .  .585 

Hanseatic  League     ....     874 

Har-em-akhu  (or  Harmacliis),  The 
Egyptian  God      ....     357 

Hatshopsitu,  Queen  (Egypt): 

Reigns  at  Thebes  .  .  .     362 

Builds  two  Obelisks  at  Karnak        .       irf- 

Obelisk  of 364 

Her  commercial  activity        .  .     365 

Her  Expedition  to  the  Land  of  Punt 

(Somaliland)  .  .  .        id. 

Its  rich  products  ....       id. 
Expedition    described   in    Temple- 
Pictures  at  Khafit-Nebus  .  .       id. 
Temple  of  (Der-al-Bahri,  Thebes)  .     436 
'■  Its  exquisite  beauty      .         ,.  .     437 

Hawaii,  Island  of  (North-East  Pacific) 
'  Crater  of  Kilauea  .  .       321-324 

•  MaunaLoa  .  .  .  .  .321 

Lava  Deposits      ....     324 

Hawa  Mahal,  The  (Jeypore,  India)     77-78 

Hawkesbury  River,  The  (New  South 
Wales) : 

'  Railway  Bridge  on        .         .       295-297 
Its  magnificent  proportions   .  .       id 

Hecla 873 

Heliopolis,  Obelisk  of  King  Usertsen 
at  (Egypt)  ....       398,399 

Herodotus,  Description  of  the  Pyra- 
mids by       ....  .     345 

Hiran  Minar,  The  (India)  .  .  96,  97 

Hochstetter  Ice-Falls,  The  (New  Zea- 
land)         275 

Ice-Caves     .  .  .  .  .     277 

Holy  Cross,  Mount  of  the  (Colorado) 

508-510 
A  Colossal  Nature-Carving     .  .     509 

Holy     Sepulchre,      Church     of    the 

(Jerusalem)       .  .  .       202-204 

Its  famoas  chapels        .  .  .     204 

Hopi  Indian  Villages  (North  Arizona) 

504-508 
Rude  Native  Architecture     .  .     504 

CUfI  Stairway       .  .  .  .505 

Dance  Rock  ....     506 

Two  House  Interiors    .         .       507,  508 

Horemheb,  Great  Colonnada  of  Kings 
(Luxor,  Egypt)     ....      451 

Horseshoe      Falls,      The      (Niagara, 
U.S.A.): 
Two  views  of        .  .  .       548, 551 

In  winter    .....     549 

Hot  Springs,  The  (Brandvlei,  South 
Africa)         .  .  .         400,401,403 

Hot  Water  Falls,  The  (Tikitere,  New 
Zealand)      ....       285, 287 

Hveravellir 873 


PAGE 

Hypoga>iim,  The  (Malta) : 
Vast   Honeycomb  of  Subterranean 

Rock-hewn  Rooms    .          .          .  692 

Neolithic  origin  of                  .          .  id. 

Their  purpose  as  an  Ossuary  .       693,  694 

Alabaster  Statue  found  in      .          .  id. 

Red  Scroll-Paintings  on  Ceiling       .  695 
Splendidly  cut  double  Doorway  and 

Lintel 696 

Monolithic  Pilaster        .          .          .  698 


I 


ICEBERr.s  (Arctic  Ocean) -.  .       542-544 

Ice-Bridge,  An  (Tibet)       .  .  .111 

Ice-Gave,  An  (Paradise  Glacier,  Rocky 

Mountains)        ....     516 
The  Hochstetter  (New  Zealand)      .     277 
Ice- Falls.  The  Hochstetter  (New  Zea- 
land)   275 

Ice-Grottos  (The  Arctic)   .  .  .544 

Iceland 870 

Iceland.  Extinct  Craters   .  .  .     873 

Ice  Stalactites  and  Stalagmites  .  291-293 
Icicle,  Huge  (Niagara  Falls,  U.S..\.)  .  548 
Ictinus  .  .  .  .  .880 

Idols,  Dyak  (Bornea)        .  .       316, 317 

Iguazu  Falls,  The  (Brazil)  .       657-660 

lUimani,  Mount  (Bolina)  .  .  .     669 

Inca  Ruins  (Peru) : 

Fortress  of  OUanf  ay-Tampu  ( Yucay 
Valley)     .  .  .  .  facing  641 ; 

and  664-669 
Red  Porphyry  Walls  of  .  .  .     664 

The  Fortress  (Cuzco)  .  ,.  652,  653 
Inca  Palace,  Ruins  of  (Cuzco)  654,  655 
Round  Towers  ....  665 
Terraces  and  Block-Houses   .  .       id. 

Massive     Masonry     of      Ollantay- 

Tampu  ....     666 

Entrance  to  Fortress     .  .  .     667 

Double  Doorway  ....  668 
Legend  of  Ollantay       .  .  .       id. 

Huge  Corner  Stones       .  .  .     669 

Fortress  of  Pissac  (Yucay  Valley) 

676-678 
Its  Terraces,  Stairways  and  Round 
Towers  ....     677 

Inscription,  The  Emperor  Akbar's  re- 
markable (Fatipur-Sikri  Gateway, 
India)  .  .  .  .  .170 

Isis,  Temple  of  (Phite,  Egypt)  .  .     388 

Isurumuniya,  Temple  of  (Ceylon) 

187,   188 
Italica,  City  of  (Seville)    .         697,  699,  700 
Itet,      Islet     of     (Eastern     Caroline 
Islands) : 
Hoase  of  the  Sacred  Eel  at     .  .     280 

Human  sacrifices  at       .  .  .       id. 

Itimad-ud-daulah,     Tomb     of     King 

(Agra,  India)       .  .  .  98-100 

Iwa-Kuni  Bridge,  The  (Japan)  124,126 
Ixtaccihuatl,  Mount  (Mexico)    .  .     526 

lyemitsu,  Tomb  of  (Nikko,  Japan)     44,  46 


lyeyasu,  Magnificent  Tomb  of  ( Nikko, 
Japan         .         .         .         .  43, 44 

Izalco,  Volcano  of  (San  Salvador, 
Central  America)  .         .       646, 649 


Jabalpur,  Marble  Rocks  of  (India)  68,  69 
Vast  granite  boulders  at  148,  153,  154 
Jagannath,  Temple  of  (Puri,  India)  223-226 
Jain  Statue,  Colossal  (Venur,  India)  .  208 
Jain  Temples  : 

(Mount  Abu,  Rajputana)        .  .     4-7 

One  at  Calcutta    .  .  .  .128 

Remarkable    examples      of     their 

architecture  .  .  .     129 

Jama  Mashd,  The  (Dellii,, India)      129-132 

Java,  Western,  Great  Pyramid-Temple 

of  Boro-Bodoer  in  .  .  25-28 

Jebel  Usdum,  Salt-Cave  of  .  71,  72,  74 
Jeddah,  Tomb  of  Eve  at  (Arabia)  218,  220 
Jenolan    Cave^,     The    (New    South 

Wales)  .  .     Introdtwtion    vii. 

General  description  and  views  of  251-266 

[Classed  under  Three  Types.'] 
Day  Caves : 
The  Grand  Archway       251,  254,  255 
The  Devil's  Coach  House  252,  254,  255 
The  Carlotta  Arch    .  .       253-255 

Twilight  Caves  : 
The  Twilight  or  Little  Cave,  The 
Willow  Chamber  and  The  Bail- 
Room  . 
Night  Caves  : 
Their  situation 
Their  vast  extent 
Their  characteristics  . 
The  Arch  Cave  . 
The  Lucas  Cave 
Its  branches  : 

The  Cathedral  Cavern,  the  Ex- 
hibition  Cave,   the  Lm'line 
Cave,  the  Shawl  Cave  and  the 
Jewel  Casket      .         .       260, 261 
The  Broken  Column        facing  237  ; 
and  260 
The  River  Cave,  Caverns  of    261,  262 
Their  remarkable  features  : 
Tower  Chambers,  the  Minaret 
Pillar,  the  Styx  Pool  and  the 
Shower  of  Shawls        .       262-264 
The  Furze  Bushes  .  .  .256 

The  Olympia  Chamber  and  the 
Grand  Column    .  .       257, 

The     River     Cave     (continued), 
Mons  Meg  branch  of    . 
Features  of : 
The  Shawl    .... 
Banded  Shawl  formation 
The     River     Cave     (continued). 
Western  Branch  of.  Features  of 
The  Temple  of  Baal 
The  River  Cave  (continued),  U]i- 

per  Branch  of,  Features  of  .     264 


254 

256 

257 
254 

■• 

255 

256 

256 

257 

258 

.   256- 

-258, 

260 

,262 


258 

262 


262 
258 


Inde: 


x 


903 


PAOE 

Jenolan    Caves,    The    (New    South 
Wales ) — continued . 
The  Orient  Cave       .         .         .264 
Granny's  Shawl      .  .  .     261 

Suspended  Crystals         .  .     262 

The  Lyre- Bird's  Nest      .  .     263 

Giant  Sappli  re  Bunch    .         .     264 
The  Diamond  Wing  .     265 

The  Skeleton  or  Bone  Cave  260, 

364,  265 
The  Main  River  Cave         .         .     264 
The  Imperial  Cave    .         .       265, 266 
Its  -features  : 

Grand  Stalactites  .  .  .265 

The  Madonna  and  Child .  .       id. 

The  Snow  Drift      .  .  .       id. 

Lot's  Wife    .         .  .  .id 

Crystal  Cities  .  .  .       id. 

The  Mystery  Canopy      .  .     266 

Ciuious    Stalactite    and   Stalag- 
mite Forms  .     255,  257,  235 
Jericho,  The  Walls  of  (Palestine)  142, 

146,  147 
Jerusalem  (Palestine)  : 

WaiUng  Place  of  the  Jews  at  19b,  200 
Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at  202-204 
Gordon's   Calvary,  or   the  Garden 

Tomb      ....       204-206 
Mosques  on  the   Temple  Area  at 

206-208 
Jeypore,  City  of  (India)  .  .  71,  78,  79 
Johnstone-Lavis  ....  885 
Juanacatlan   Falls,   The   (Mexico)       558, 

560,  561 
Jungfrau,  The  (Smtzerland) : 
Views   of         .  .     faring  801  ;     and 

830,  831 

Description  of      .  831-833,  881,  883 

Jupiter,  Statue  of  (Olympia)  Introduction  ii. 

Jupiter   Terrace   (Yellowstone    Park. 

U.S.A.) 495 


K 


Kaieteue  Falls,  The  ( British  Guiana)    673 
Kailas  Temple,  The  (EUora,  India)    31,  32 
Kakaramea,  Mount  (New  Zealand  286,  392 
Its  many-coloured  strata       .  .   id.  id. 

Kamakura,  Giant    Buddha-statue  at 

(Japan)  .  .     facing  97  ;  and  114 

Kanarak,    The     Black     Temple    of 

(India) 237 

.Jvangchengjunga,  Mount  .  .  .     3—5 

Kano,  The  City  of  (Northern  Nigeria) ; 

Walls  of 453 

liateway  of  ....     454 

Capital  of  Haussa-land  and  centre 
of  Haussa  language  and  civiliza- 
tion .....       id. 
Early     Egyptian    influence    upon 

architecture  of  .  .  .id 

General  view  of  City      .  .  .     455 

Emir's  Palace  at  .  .  .  .     456 

Exterior  of  Emir's  Harem  at.  .     457 


PAOE 

Curious  Wall-Decoration,  Emir's 
Palace     ......      id. 

Completion  of  Lagos-Kano  Railway 
opening  up  the  Central  Sudan    .     458 
Karapiti,     Monster      Blow-Hole      at 

(New  Zealand)  301,302 

Karnak,  City  of  (Egypt) : 

Its  proper  Egyptian  name     ■  .     360 

Temple  of  Amun  at       .  .  .       id. 

Avenue  of  Ram-headed  Sphinxes  at      id. 

Centre  of  Government  under  the 
Thirteenth  Dynasty  .  .  .361 

Hyksos  Invasion  .  .  .  .id. 

Kin?  Anienhotep  I.  and  Tehutimes, 
his  successor,  build  new  Temples 
at    .  .         .  .  .  .id. 

Grand  Temple  Colonnade  at  .     id.,  363 

Propylon  of  Ptolemy  III.  at  .  .     362 

Queen  Hatshopsitu  builds  fine 
monuments  at.         .         .         .      id. 

Her  Obelisk  at     .  .  .  .364 

Obelisk  of  King  Tehutimes  I.  at      .     365 

Portrait-bust  of  a  Pharaoh  at         .     366 

Splendid  additional  Buildings  con- 
structed under  the  Nineteenth 
Dynasty  at        .  .  .  .id. 

Magnificent  Hall  of  Columns  .     368 

Temple  of  Ramses  IV.  at       .  .       id. 

Exploits  of  King  Sheshonk 
(Shishak)  recorded  at         .         .     369 

Karnak  called  No-Amon  by  the 
Prophet  Nahum         .  .  .       id. 

Its  destruction  by  the  Assyrian 
Invasion .  .  .  .  .id. 

Partial  restoration  under  the 
Ptolemys  ....       id. 

Neglect  under  Roman  rule     .  .       id. 

Cartouches  and  Pictures  on  Walls  of      id. 
Katsura  Rapids,  The  (Japan)    .  30,  31 

Kegon  Waterfall,  The  (Japan)  .  92-94 

Kelasa  Hills,  Sampan  Pagoda  at  the 

(Burma)  .  .  .     Frontispiece 

Kereru  Geyser,  The  (New  Zealand)    .     270 
Khaf-ra,or  Chephren,  King  (Egypt), 

builds  the  Second  Pyramid  at  Giza     354 
Khartum   (Egyptian   Sudan),    Sand- 
storms near         .  .         398, 401, 402 
Khirghiz  Tombs  (Siberia)  .       112-114 
Khufu,  or  Cheops,  King  (Egypt) : 

Builds  the  First  or  Great  Pyramid 
at  Giza    .  .     353 

His  irreligion  and  harsh  despotism      id. 

Sarcophagus  of    .  .  .  .     354 

Kiatang,     Great     Buddha-statue   at 

(China)       .  .  ,  .         7,  9,  10 

Kien-Lung,  The  Emperor  (China)      .       86 
Kilauea  (Hawaii,  Sandwich  Islands) : 

Crater  of     .  .  .  .       321-324 

Lava  Deposits  of .  .  .  .     324 

Kimberley,    A     Diamond    Mine    at 

(South  Africa)      .  .  .  .408 

King  Roger's  Castle  .  .  .     869 

Kintai-kyo   Bridge,  The  (Japan)  124,  126 
Kirunga-cha-Gongo,       Volcano       of 

(Equatorial  Africa)        .     462,  464,  465 


Kirunga-Namlagira,       Volcano      of 

(Equatorial  Africa)  .         .         .     4r2 

Two  views  of        ...  .     403 

Kissing  Stones,  The  (Buffalo  Ranges, 

Victoria) 328,329 

Kiva  or  Circular  Chambers  (Navahoe- 

land.  New  Mexico)        .  580, 581 

Kogun,    Cave   of.    Vast   numbers   of 

Buddha-images  in         .         .         .21 
Kremlin,  The  (Moscow) : 

Views  of       ...  .     846, 847 

Russia's  Great  Fortress-Sanctuary      id. 

Famous  Eikon,  or  Image  of  the 
Saviour  at         ...  .     846 

Krishna,  Ceremonial  Car  of  (Tanjore, 

India)  ....       118,  12v) 

Kubba  of    Sidi-bu-Medin    (Tlemgen, 

Western  Algeria)  .  .  .     468 

Kum,  The  Sacred  Qty  of  (Persia), 

Gorgeous    shrine    of    Fatima    at 

190-192 
kutab   Minar,  or  Inscribed  Minaret, 
The  (Delhi,  India) : 

Base  of        .  18 

Its  five  fluted  stories  and  orna- 
mental circling  by  rings  of  Koran 
texts  18, 19 

Kwan-non,  the  Japanese  Goddess  of 

Mercy,  Efligies  of  .         .       122,  123 

Kyoto,  San-ju-san-gen-do  Temple  at 

(Japan)         ....     122-124 


Lake  Louise  (Rocky  Mountains)  .  535 
Lake  Manapouri  (New  Zealand)  338,  342 
Lake  Maracaibo  (Venezuela),  Indian 

Pile-Dwellings  at  .  .       664,  665 

Lake    Rotomahana    (New     Zealand) 

340,  341,  343 
Lake  Superior  (U.S.A.)  .  522,  524,  525 
Lake   Palace,   The  White    (Udaipur, 

Mewar,  India)  ....  136 
Lava  Deposits  (Kilauea,  Hawaii)  .  324 
Lava  in  Iceland        .         •  ■  ■     872 

Leaning  Tower,  The  (Pisa,  Italy),  View 

and  description  of  Introduction 

ii.,  iv.,  ix.,  x.,  865 
Leaning     Tower,     The     (Soo-Chow, 

China)  ....    43,46,47 

i  Leaping     Chasm,     The     (Wisconsin, 

U.S.A.)  ....  531-533 
Lebanon,  Mount,   Natural  Bridge  at 

(Syria)       ....        9,10,12 
Lele  Island  (Eastern  Carolines,  Ger- 
man Micronesia) : 

Cyclopean  Walls  on       .  .       282,285 

Probable  origin  of  .  .  .  285 
Lhasa  (Tibet) : 

The  Cathedral  at  .         .       213,  214,  216 

The   Potala,   or   Palace-Temple,  at 

220,  221,  223 
Liberty     Cap     (Velloivstone     Park, 

U.S.A.) 497 


904 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


PAGE 

Liberty      Cap      {Yosemite     Valley, 

U.S.A.)  .         .  .       586,589 

Library  of  Congress,  The  (Washington, 

U.S.A.)        ....       599-601 
Lilies,   Victoria  Regia  (Como   Park, 
Minnesota,  U.S.A.)       .  512,513 

Lille  Dimon 872 

Lipari  Isles 884 

L'CEil  de  Bceuf         .         .  .  .886 

Lot's  Wife  and  the  Cockatoo  ( WoUan- 
cUlly  Caves,  New  South  Wales)  303,304 

Louis  Xlir 886 

Louis  XIV 886 

Louise,     Lake     (Rocky     Mountains, 

U.S.A.) 535 

Lourdes,    The    Grotto    of    (France) 

684-686,  688 
Luxor,  Ruins  of  (Egypt) : 

Temple  of  King  Amenhotep  III.  at 

449-453 
Forecourt  of  ...  .  449 
Northern  entrance  to    .  .  450 

Great  Colonnade  of  Horem-heb      .     451 
Later  additions  and  restoration  of 
buildings  .         .         .       4-52,453 


M 


Madue.\,     Siva-Temple     at     (India) 

178,   180-182  I 

Mahmud,    Tomb    of     the     Emperor 
( Hijapur,  India)  .         .  .       237,  239 

Mahrab,  or  Shrine  (Tlemijen,  Western 
Algeria) 470 

Maintenon,  Madame  de     .  .  .     886 

Major-Domo,    The    (Garden    of    the 
Gods,  Colorado,  U.S.A.)        .  .     561 

Mamluks,  Tombs  of  the  (Cairo)  .  .     414 

Short  History  of  the      .  .       413-415 

The  Praetorian  Guards  of  the  Sultans 
of  Egypt  ....     415 

Mammoth     Cave,     The     (Kentucky, 
U.S.A.)        ...        600,  602-605 

Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  The  (Yellow- 
stone Park,  U.S.A.)       .  .  .496 

Manapouri,  Lake  (New  Zealand)    338,342 

Manco's    Canyon,    Cliff-Dwellings    at 
(Colorado,  U.S.A.)  Introduction  xiv. 

Mandalay  (Burma) : 

( iroup  of  450  Pagodas  at        .  .     105 

Arakan  Temple  at         .  .       216-218 

Great  Bell  of  Mingun  near      .       221-223 

JIanjer,   Shrine   of   the   (Bethlehem) 

150,  155,  156 

Manila,    Burial   Vault   at   (Philippine 
Islands)       .  .  .         592, 594, 596 

Jlaracaibo,    Lake  (Venezuela,   South 
America),  Indian  Pile-Dwellings  at 

664,  665 

Marble  Rocks,  The  (.Jabalpur,  India)  68,  69 

Marco  Polo,  The  E.xplorer  : 

Describes  the  Great  \\a.\\  of  China 

Introdttction  viii. 
Statue  at  Canton  of       .         .        27-30 


PAGE 
Marie  Antoinette  ....  886 
Martand,  Ruins  of  (Kashmir) : 

View  of         .  .  .  facing    225 

Description  of      .  .  .       234, 235 

Their  resemblance  to  the  Temple  at 
Jerusalem        .  .  .         .        id. 

Marvellous  Gateway,  A  (Fatipur-Sikri, 

India)  .  .  .       166,  169,  170 

Mastaba,  or  Stone  Tomb,  Derivation 

of  Pyramid  from  ....     346 
Matsu-shima  (or  "  The  Isle  of  Pines  "), 

Natural  Arch  at  (.lapan)        .       215-217 
Matterhorn,   The   (Zermatt,   Switzer- 
land), Imposing  view  of      .         .     768 
Disastrous  ascent  by  Mr.  Whymper 

and  party  of    .  .  .  .        id. 

Glorious  light-effect  upon  facing  769 

The  Alpengliihe,  or  Alpine  Glow      .       id. 
Mauna  Loa,  Mount  (Hawaii,  Sandwich 

Islands) 321 

Mausoleum,  Queen  Artemisia's  (HaU- 

carnassiis,  Asia  Minor)  Introduction  ii.,  vi. 
Maya  Indians,  Ancient  civilization  of 

(Yucatan,  C.A.)         .  .       640, 641 

Traces  of  Asiatic  influence  in  .  .      id. 

Mysterious  Hieroglyphical  Writing 

of id. 

Medinet  Habu,  Temples  at  (Thebes, 

Egypt)        ....       415-417 
Memnon,  Colossi  of  (Thebes,  Egypt) 

434-436 
Memorial,  The  Washington  (Washing- 
ton, U.S.A.)         .         .         .       511,512 
Memphis,  City  of,  the  Ancient  Capital 

of  Egypt 358 

Men-kau-ra,     or     Mycerinus,      King 

(Egypt)    .....     354 

Builds  the  Third  Pyramid  at  Giza  .      id. 

Makes  additions  and  improvements     356 

Merian,  Matthew     .         .         .         .883 

Messina 869 

Metropolitan  Life  Building,  The  (New 
York  City,  U.S.A.): 

By  Night 491 

By  Day 492 

Marvellous  dimensions  and  beauties 

of 493,494 

Mexico : 

Mystery  of  Early  Civilization  of      .     514 
Probable  Asiatic  origin  of  Nahuas 

andToltecs       ....       id. 
Tartar  origin  of  Aztec  Calendar        .       id. 
Toltec    Architecture    and    Picture- 
Writing    ....       516-521 
The  Mitla  Ruins  .  .  .  id.,  id. 

A  Subterranean  Corridor  (Mitla)     .     517 
Hall  of  Monoliths  (Mitla)        .  .     518 

Two  Views  of    Palace  of   Columns 

(Mitla) 519 

Carved  Antechamber  (Mitla).  520 

Carved    Masonry,   Eastern    Block 

(Mitla) 521 

View  of  Mount  Popocatepetl  .      525,  526 
Description  and  Views  of  Pyramid 
of  the  Sun  (Teotihuacan)  .       540-542 


VAOE 

Description  of  Pyramid  of  the  Moon 
(Teotihuacan)  ....      540 

The  Juanacatlan  Falls  558,  560,  561 

Meyer,  Hieronymous         .  .         .     883 

Meyer,  Johann  ....     883 

Meyer,  Johann  Rudolf       .  .  .     883 

Mfumbiro,  Volcanic  District  of  (Equa- 
torial Africa)     ....     461 

Lava-Caves  in      .  .  .  .     462 

Midnight  Sun,  The  .      Introduction  i. 

Mightiest    Stone     ever     hewn.    The 

(Baalbek)  .  .     Introduction  ix. 

Milan  Cathedral        ....     876 

Milford  Sound  (New  Zealand)  facing  321 ; 

and  325-327 

MiKtary  Rug,  The  (Yallingup  Caves, 

West  Australia)  ....  336 
Millions  of  Hindu  Pilgrims  bathing  .  141 
Minar,  The  Hiran  (India)  .  .  .  96-97 
Minar,  The  Kutab  (Delhi,  India)  18-19 
Minar  of  Damghan,  The  (Persia)  147, 

152,  153 
Minarets  (Mosque  of  Al-Azhar,  Cairo) 

429,  430 
Minaret    Stalagmite,     The    (Jenolan 

Caves,    New   South    Wales) 

Introduction  vii. 
Minbar,  or  Pulpit  (Tlemjen,  Western 

Algeria) 469 

Mines,  The  Ruby  (Burma)        .       228-230 
Ming  Emperors,  Tombs  of  the  ( Peking 

and  Nanking)      .  .33,  34, 36 

Ming    Tombs,     Entrance     Gate     to 

(Peking) 33 

Mingun,  The  Great  Bell  of  (Mandalay, 

Burma)  ....  221-223 
Minniin  Pagoda,  The  (Burma)  132-134 
Minobu,  Mount  (Japan),  Temple  of  94-96 
Misti,  Mount  (Arequipa,  Peru)  662,  664 
Mitla,  Riuns  of  (Mexico)  .  .       516-521 

Miya-jima,     Beautiful      village       of 

(Japan)  ....  233,234 
Modern  World- Wonders,  Seven 

Introduction  iv. 
-Mohammedan  Shrine,  Curious  .  .  22 
Monastery  of  St.   Barlaam  (Meteora, 

North  Thessaly)  .  .  .  733, 735 
Monastery  of  St.  Stephen  (Meteora, 

North  Thessaly)  .  .  732,  733,  735 
Monch   .         .  .  .  .       881, 884 

Monolithic  Pilaster  (The  Hypogaeum, 

Malta) 698 

Monohthic      Rock-Temple      (EUora, 

India)  ....  31, 32 

MonoUths,  Hall  of  the  (Mitla,  Mexico)     518 
Mont  Pelee  (Martinique,  West  Indies), 

Great  eruption  of  .  .       513-515 

Mont  St.  Michel  (Brittany)        .       762,  765 
Monreale,  Cloisters  of      .  .  .      868 

Mont  Blanc  (Sivitzerland) 

Description  of      .  .         821-824, 876 

The  Mer  de  Glace         .  .  .822 

Views  of  Mont  Blanc    .  .       823,  824 

A  Dangerous  Crevasse  .  .  .     824 

Mont  Combin  ....     876 


Index 


905 


PAOB 

Monte  Rosa    . 

.     876 

Moscow : 

Cathedral  of  St.  Basil  . 

.      844,  845 

The  Great  Bell     . 

.     845 

The  Kremlin 

.     846 

library  at   . 

.     880 

Mosque,    The    Great    (Delhi,    India) 

129-132 
Mosque   of   Muhammed   Ali   (Cairo) 

382-385 
Mosque   of    the    Olive-Tree    (Tunis) 

379,  383 
Mosque  of  Santa  Sophia   (Constan- 
tinople)       .  .  Introduction  iv. 
Mosque   of   Sidi-bu-Medin  (Tlemgen, 

Western  Algeria),  Views  of  .  467-470 
Mosque  of  Tlemgen,  Grand   (Western 

Algeria)       ....       437-440 
Mosque,  The  Pearl  (Agra,  India)    225,  226 
Mosques  on  the  Temple  Area  (Jerusa- 
lem)          206-208 

228,   229 
Moulmein,  Buddhist  Cave  near .  20,  21 

Mount  Egmont  (New  Zealand)  304,  305 
Mount  Erebus  (The  Antarctic)  306-309 
Mount  Etna  (Sicily) : 

Description  of      .  .  .       817, 818 

Its  Sicilian-Arabic  name        .  .     817 

Views  of      .         .         .       817,  818,  819 
Etna's    wealth    in    many-coloured 

irises  and  other  wild  flower.-s     .     817 

Notable  Modern  Eruptions  of         .       id. 

Etna's  Three  Zone^       .  .  .818 

Mount  Everest  (Himalayas)      .       106-108 

Mount  Fuji,  or  Fuji-Yama  (Japan)  73,  75, 

76,   78 
Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross  (Colorado, 

U.S.A.)  ....  508-510 
Mount  Kakaramea  (New  Zealand)  286,  292 
Mount     Lebanon     (Syria),     Natural 

Bridge  at   .  .  .  .9,  10,  12 

Mount  Mauna  Loa  (Hawaii)      .  .     321 

Mount  Minobu  (Japan),  Temple  of  94-96 
Mount    Omi    (Western    China),    Fire 

and  Tiger  Idol-statues  on       .  87,  88 

Mount  Kobson  ( British  Columbia)     .     538 
Mount  Siniolchu  (Sikkim)    '      .         41, 42 
Mount  Tarawera  (New  Zealand)    341-344 
Great  eruption  of  .  .       342-344 

Mural    Paintings    (Thebes,     Egypt), 

Tomb  of  Set!  1 445 

Myceniie  ( Argolis,  South- West  Greece) : 
Description  of      .  .  .       824-826 

Excavations  of  Dr.  Schliemann  at 

824,  825 
Cyclopean  Walls  of  .  .  .  825 
View  of  the  I. ion  Gate  .  .      id. 

Beehive  Tombs  at         .  .  .      id. 

Agora,  or  Place  of  Assembly  .       825,  826 
Gold    and    Bronze    Treasures    dis- 
covered at        ...  .     826 
Probable     date     of     Mycenaean 

civilization        .  .  .      .       id. 

Capture  of  Mycenoe  by  .4rgives  and 
desertion  of  the  city  .  826 


N 

Nakhom  Thom,  City  of  (Cambodia), 
Views    of    splendid    Indo-Chinese 
Temple  Ruins      .         .         .       249-250 
Nakhon   Wat,   Marvellous    Ruins   of 

(Cambodia)  .  .  .       241-250 

Nan-Daw,    or    Royal    Palace,     The 

(Mandalay,  Burma)       .  .       116-118 

Nan-Matal,   Great    Island-Venice    of 
(Ponape    Island,    Eastern    Caro- 
lines)      ....       278-285 
Its  high-walled  islets     .  .  .     280 

Itet,  House  of  Sacred  Eel  at  .  .        id. 

Pan-Katara,  the  Place  of  Assembly       id. 
The  Mausoleum  and  Sanctuary  of 

Nan-Tauach     .  .  .       280,281 

Curious   local    tradition    of   Giant 

Builders 282 

Probable  Japanese  or  Indo-Chinese 
origin  of  Buildings     .         .         .       id- 
Nan-Shan  Mountains  (China)  Introduction 

viii. 
Nan-Tauach,   Sanctuary   of   (Ponap^ 

Island,  Eastern  Carolines)  .       280,  282 
Principal  Gateway  of    .  .  .     280 

Solid  Cyclopean  Masonry  of  Walls  .       id. 
Huge  natural  basaltic  shafts  com- 
posing     ....       280,281 
Its  area  and  design        .  .  .       id. 

Peculiar  style  of  architecture  .       id. 

Legend  of  King  Chau-te-Leur  .       id. 

Napoleon  1 878 

Napoleon  III 884 

Nara,    Curious    Temple-Lanterns    at 

(Japan)    ....  79-80 

Kasuga  Temple  and  tame  deer  at 

109, 110 
Narbada  River,  Falls  of  the  (India)  209,  210 
Natural  Arch,  A  (Matsu-shima,  Japan) 

215-217 
Natural  Bridge,  A  (Mount  Lebanon) 

9,  10,  12 
Natiual    Bridge,   A   (River   Rummel, 

Eastern  Algeria)  ....     370 
Natural      Bridge,  The     (Virginia, 

U.S.A.)        ....       565-567 
Natural  Bridge  and  Towers  (Acoma)  .     608 
Natural  Bridges,  Two  (South  America) : 
The    Rumi-chaca    (Carchi     River, 

Colombia)         .  .  .  .661 

The   Inca  s    Bridge  ( Rio   llendoza, 
Argentina)        ....     663 
Natural  Phenomena,  Growing  interest 

in  .  .  .  .  Introdttctiofi  viii. 

Nature- Worship,  Primitive  Introduction  ii. 
Navahoe  Indian  Ruins  (New  Mexico) 

578-584 
Negroes,  Spider-cultus  of  Introduction  ii. 
Neptune,  Statue  of  .  .  .  •     869 

Neptune,  Temple  of  .  .  .     869 

Neptune,  Temple  of  (Paestum,  Italy) 

782,  784,  785 
New  Guinea  : 

A  Cannibal  Temple       .        297,  298,  300 


PAGE 

Native  Houses  .  .  298,300-302 
A  Native  Village  .  .  .       299,  301 

New  South  Wales  : 
The  Jenolan  Caves   and  their  mar- 
vels             251-266 

The  WoUondilly  Caves  .  .  303,  304 
The  Wombeyan  Caves  .  .       302,  304 

Sydney  Harbour  .  .  .       313-315 

New  York  (U.S.A.),   View  of,  from 
Jersey  City 488 

New  Zealand : 
Geysers        ....       266-273 
Alpine  Flora         .  .  .  .274 

Glaciers  ....  274-277 
Southern  Alps      .  .  .       273,274 

The  Karapiti  Blow-Hole  .  301, 302 
Mount  Egmont    .  .  .       304, 305 

The  Boiling  Well,  Waikite  .  305,  306 
The  Franz  Josef  Glacier  .  311-313 
The  Spinxes,  Wangaroa         .  .     314 

Milford  Soimd  facing  321 ;  and  325-327 
The  Boiling  Lake  (Wliite  Island) 

324,  325 
Glory  and  beauty  of  West  Coast 

Sounds  ....  325,326 
The  Waimangu  Geyser  .  .  332-334 
Valley  of  Wairakei  .  337,  340,  341 
Lake  Manapouri  .  .  .       338-342 

Lake  Rotomahana  .  340,  341,  343 
The  Solfatara  Country  .  .       341,342 

Mount  Tarawera  .  .  341-344 

Niagara  Falls,  The  (U.S.A.)  Introduction  xii. 
General  description  and  minor  views 

of    .  .  .  .  •       .545-554 

The  Falls  in  Winter       .  .    facing  545 

The  Falls  by  Night        .  .  .546 

Nikko  (Japan) : 
Splendid  Royal  Cemetery  at  .  43-45 

Great  Torii  of       .  .  .  .78 

Grand  Avenue  of  Pines  at     .  .79 

The  Yomei  Gate  .  .        172,  174,  176 

Nimes,    Roman   Remains   at   (South 
France) : 
Description  of      .         .         .       836, 837 
Two  views  of  the  Amphitheatre  836,  837 

Nishapur,  Turquoise  Mines  at  (Persia) 

205,  206 

Nit-Aquert,    or    Nitocris,    Legend   of 
Queen,  an  Egyptian  Cinderella        .     358 

Norway  .....     872 

Notre  Dame  de  Paris.  The  Cathedral 
of (France) : 
Description  of      .  .  .       818-821 

Two  views  of        .  .  .       820,821 

Nunnery,  The  (Uxmal,  Yucatan)        .     638 

Nunnery  of  Virgins  of  the  Sun  (Cuzco, 
Peru) 650 

Nuraghi,    or    Primitive   Stone    Huts 
(Sardinia)    ....       681,682 

Nuwara-Ehya,  Falls  near  (Ceylon)    .     116 


Oaxaca,      Giant      Cypress-tree      at 
(Mexico)   .  .  .     Introductio7i  viii. 


9o6 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Obelisk  : 
Of   King   Usertsen  I.   (Heliopolis, 

Egypt)     ....       398, 399 

Of  Queen  Hatshopsitu  .         .         .     364 

A  Ninety-two  toot  Obelisk     .       420,  421 

■  The  Obelisk  (Washington)      .       511,  .512 

Oklahoma,  Cyclone  at  (U.S.A.) 

Introduction  xi. 

Old  Man  of  the  Mountains,  The  (New- 
Hampshire,  U.S.A.)      .  .       598, 599 

Old  Palace,  The  (Amber,  Rajputana, 
India)  ....  69-72 

Ollantay-Tampu,  Great  Iiiea  Fortress 
of  (Yucay  Valley,  Peru) : 
View  of      .  .         .  .     facing  641 

General  description  of  .  .  664-669 
Views  of  Masonry  ,  .  666,  667 
Double  Doorway  .  .  .     668 

Romantic  Legend  and  Inca  Drama 

of  OUantay      .  ...       id. 

Immense  Corner-stone  .  .     669 

Round  Towers  and  Tui'rets  .  .       id. 

Olympian  Jupiter,  Statue  of  the 

Introduction  vi. 

Orange  and  red  Granite  Boulders, 
Hieroglyphics  carved  on  (near  Philae 
Island,  Egyj)t)      ....     386 

Orange  (The  Midi,  South  France), 
Roman  Theatre  at         .  .       781,  783 

Oroya,  View  of  the  Rimac  Gorge  from 
(The  Andes  Mountains,  Peru)         .     670 

Osiris,     Four    Headless    Statues    of  ' 

(Thebes,  Egypt)  .         .         .         .434 


Pagoi).!,  The  Ananda  (Burma)         6,  8,  9 
The  Arakan( Burma)     .  .  .217 

The  Klang-nam  (Siam)  .  .     151 

The  Mingiin  (Burma)    .  .       132-134 

The  Rocking         .  .  Frontispiece 

The  Ruanweh  (Ceylon).  .       201,202 

The  Schway  Dagon  (Burma)   facing  129 

Palace  of  King  Theebaw  (Mandalay, 
Burma)        ....       117,  118 

Palenque,  The  Ruined  City  of  (Central 
America)      .....     641 

Palermo 868 

Palm  Avenue,  A  fine  (Rio,  Brazil)    661,  662 

Palmyra,  Ruins  of    .         152-154,  158,  159 

Panama  CanaJ,  The  : 
General  description        .  .       642-646 

Probable  date  of  completion  .  .     642 

The  Culebra  Cut  .  .  .       642-645 

The  Six  Locks       ....     644 
Length  and  depth  of  Canal     .  .       id. 

The  Gatun  Dam  .  .  .  .645 

Flooding  of  Ghagre.s  Valley    .  .       id. 

Sanitary  precautions  of  American 
engineers  in  charge,  and  organized 
destruction  of  mosquitoes  .  .     646 

Pan-Katara,  Islet  of  (Ponape  Island, 
Eastern  Carolines) : 
Ancient  Place  of  Parliament  at       .     280 


PAGE 

Cyclopean  Masonry  surrounding     .       id. 

Paradise  Glacier,  The  (Rocky 
Mountains,  U.S.A.)        .  .  .     516 

Parsees,  The         .  .     Introduction  xii. 

Pausanias        .....     880 

Pearl  Mosque,  The  (Delhi,  India) : 

View  of  ...    facing  161 

Interior  of  .  .  .  .       177,  180 

Pechaburi  Cave-Temples  ( Western 
Siam)  .         .         .     167,  170,  172 

Pegu,  Giant  Buddha-statue  at  .  15-17 

Peking  (China) : 
The  Great  Bell  of         .  .  91, 92 

The  Hata-men     .  .  .       170,  174 

Royal  Throne-Room  at  .  105,  106 
Sacred  Twin  Tree  at     .  .       110,  112 

The  Walls  of  .  .  169,  173,  174 
The  Yellow  Temple       .  .       191-194 

Pel^e,  Mont  (Martinique  Island, 
West  Indies),  Destructive  Eruption 
of 513-515 

Penguins  (Bounty  Island)         .  331 

Penguins' Cave  ( Bounty  Island)         .     332 

Peradeniya  Gardens  (Kandy,  Ceylon), 
Screw-Pine  or  Pandanus  trees,  mth 
curious  aerial  roots,  at  .     176,  178,  179 

PersepoUs,  Ruins  of  (Persia)     .       210-213 

Peru  : 

View  of  Inca  Fortress  of  Ollantay- 
Tampu  .  .  .  facing  641 
A  Study  in  Red  Porphyry  .  .  id. 
Inca  Ruins  of  Cuzco  .  .  650-658 
Cyclopean  Masonry  .  .  652, 653 
Niche  system  in   Peruvian   arclii- 

tecture     .....     654 
Description  of  Fortress  of  Ollantay- 
Tampu    ....       664-668 
Double  Doorway  ....     668 
Immense  Corner-stone  and  Round 

Towers 669 

Description    of    Inca    Fortress 

Pissac      .... 
View  of  Fortress  . 
The  Ruins  of  Tiahuanaco 
Their  pre-Incarial  origin 
Cyclopean  type  of  .  .  . 

Sculptured  Megalitliic  Doorway 

679, 
Ruins  on  Islands  upon  Lake  Titi- 

caca 680 

Javanese  or  Hindu-Malay  origin  of 
Ataluiallpa  Dynasty  and  traces 
of  this  influence  in  Inca  civiliza- 
tion (  vide  sub  Easter  Island) 

Peterllof,  or  Czar's  Summer   Palace, 

The  (Gulf  of  Finland) :  .     856 

The  Avenue  of  Fountains       .  .     857 

The  Samson  Fountain  .  .  .       id. 

Petra  : 
The  Rose- Red  Rocks  of          .  62,  64 

The  Amphitheatre  .  .  .193 
The  Place  of  Sacrifice  .  .  .194 
Many-coloured  CUffs  at  .  .  id. 
General  View  of  .  .  .  .  195 
Tombs  at 196 


of 
676-678 

.     677 
678-680 

.     678 

.      id. 

.    678, 
680 


Petrie,  Professor  Flinders,  Conjectural 
dates  assigned  to  Egyptian  Dynas- 
ties by         ....  .     346 

Pharaoh's  Bed  (Phite,  Egypt)  .       386,  389 

Pharaoh,  The  Treasury  of  .  63,  64 

Pharos,  The  (Alexandria)     Introduction  ii. 

Phidias,  The  Sculptor  Introduction  vi. 

Phila;,  Island  of  (Egypt) : 

Ruins  on     .  .  .         .       385-390 

Views  of     .  facing  385  ;   and  385 

Its  Wonderful  Temples  .       385-390 

Pharaoh's  Bed     .  .  .       386, 389 

Partial     yearly     submergence     of 
Philae  by  Nile  caused  by  Great 
Dam  at  Assouan        .         .         .     386 
General  View  of   .  .  .  .     387 

Temple  of  Isis  at  .  .  .  .     388 

Philse  in  Flood-time   ■   .       ■   .         .389 
Hypostyle  Hall  on        .  .  .     390 

Phoenician  Tomb,  Triangular  (Car- 
thage, North  Africa)     .         .       378, 382 

Piedra    Parade,    The    (Chubut    River, 
Argentina,  South  America)   .       660,  661 

Pima  Indians,  Homes  of  the  (New 
Mexico) 628 

Pisa       .         .         .         .         .         .865 

Pisa,  The  Leaning  Tower  of 

Introduction  ii.,  ix. 

Pisano,  Giovanni     ....     866 

Pisano,  Nicolo  ....     866 

Pissac,     Inca    Fortr&ss     of     (Yucay 
Valley,  Peru) : 
Description  of      .         .         .       676-678 
Its  Terraces,  Stairways,  Aqueducts 
and  Round  Towers    .         .         .     677 

Pliny  the  Elder        .  .     Introduction  ii. 

Pluto 878 

Poas  Crater,  The  (Costa  Rica,  Central 
America)       ....     641,642 

Pohutu  Geyser,  The  (New  Zealand)    .     272 

Polar  Sun,  The        .  .  .       594, 597 

Pompeii,  The  Buried  City  of  (Italy) : 
Two  Views  of        .  .  .  facing  737 

A  City  of  the  Dead         .  .         .     742 

The  Forum  .  .  .  .743 

A  Wine  Shop        .  .  .  .744 

A  Baker's  Shop    .  .  .  .id. 

Temple  of  Apollo  .  .  .     745 

Pliny    the    Younger's    Description 

of  Eruption      .  .  .       745, 746 

The  Amphitheatre         .  .  .     746 

Via  Delia  Fortuna         .  .  .     747 

House  of  the  Vettii        .  .       748, 749 

Temple  of  Lsis       .  .  .  .749 

House  of  the  .Edile       .  .  .     750 

Street  of  Tombs   .  .  .       751,  753 

Pompey's  Pillar  (Alexandria,  Egypt) 

446,  447 

Pompey's  Pillar  (The  (irand  Canyon, 
Colorado  River,  North  America)   .     485 

Ponap^  Island  (Eastern  Carolines) : 
Wonderful  Ruins  on  278,  280,  281,  282 
Their  probable  origin    .  .  .     282 

Porcelain  Tower,  The  (Nankin,  China) 

Introduction  iv.,  x. 


Inde: 


X 


907 


.     372 
builds    the 
Introduction  viii. 
Care,  West 


(Yellowstone 


339 

id. 


494 


365 


Porridge    Pot,    The    (Tikitere,    New 

Zealand) 284 

Potala,  or  Palace-Temple,  The  (Lhasa, 

Tibet)  .         .         .       220,  221,  223 

Praehedi,  or  Votive  Spire  (Siam)  197,  198 
Primitive  Nature- Worship  Introduction  ii. 
Primrose  Terrace,  The  (Lake  Taupo, 

New  Zealand)  .         .         .       285,286 
Its  wonderful  colouring  .         id.,  ii. 

Prinsep,    Henry,    deciphers    ancient 

inscription  upon  Asoka's  Pillar     84,  86 
Ptolemy     Philadelphus     completes 

Mansura  Waterway 
Ptolemy    Soter,     King, 
Pharos  at  Alexandria 
Pulpit,   The  (Calgardup 
Australia) 
Exquisite  Stalactites 
Pulpit    Terrace,     The 

Park,  U.S.A.)       .... 
Punt,   The   Land   of.    Expedition   of 

Egyptian  Queen  Hatshopsitu  to 
Pyramid-form  in  Arcliitecture,  Deve- 
lopment of  the  .         .       346, 347 
Its  appearance  elsewhere  in  the  Old 
and  New  World  .  .  .349 
Pyramids  of  Giza,  The  (Egypt) : 
Views  of      ...         .       345, 347 
Origin  of  and  derivation  of    name 

Introduction  ii.,  iv.  ;  and  344 
Probable     date     of      construction 

Introduction  iv. 
First  or   Great   Pyramid   of   King 

Khufu  or  Cheops 
Its  probable  age  . 
View  of  Base 
Corner  of    . 
Its  great  height    . 
Its  dimensions 
The    Second     Pyramid 
Khaf-ra  or  Chephren 
The  Third  Pyramid  of  King  Men- 

kau-ra  or  Mycerinus  .  .       354,  355 

Its  dimensions     ....     356 
Mischief   done   to   these   Pyramids 
during  Mohammedan  occupation 
of  Egypt  ....     349,  356 
Other  lesser  Pyramids  of  later  date 

in  Nubia 346 

Pyramids  of  Berber  Kings,  Circular 

(Algeria) 348 

Pyramid  of  the  Moon  (Teotihuacan, 

Mexico),  Description  of  .  .     540 

Pyramid   of   the   Sun   (Teotihuacan, 
Mexico),  View  and  description  of 

540,  542 
Pyramid-Temple      of      Boro-Bodoer 

(Western  Java)    .  .  .  24-27 

Pyramid-Temple,    A   Maya   (Cliichen 
Itza,  Yucatan)      ....     640 


348,  357 

.  346 

.  349 

.  350 

.  351 

352,  353 

d  of 

King 

I 

354,  356 

QciEiGUA   (Central  America),  Mono- 
lithic Indian  Stelae  at   . 


641 


R 


Rama,  Indian  Legend  of  .  .  .20 

Ramboda  Waterfall,  The  (Ceylon)  115-117 
Ramesseum,  The  (Thebes,  Egypt)  432^34 
Rameswaram,  Rama- Vishnu  Temple 

of 19,20 

Ramses  Line,  Egyptian  Kings  of  the  : 
Ramses  I.  : 

Builds    part    of     the    Hall    of 
Columns  at  Karnak         .  .     366 

Ramses  II.  or  Great  Conqyeror ; 
Continues  work  at  Karnak  and 

builds  Avenue  of  Sphinxes  360,  366 
Makes  many  Conquests      .  .     368 

Gigantic    prone    Statue    of,    at 

Sakkara         .  .  397-399 

Statue  of,  at  Abu  Simbel   .       404-407 

Fallen  Statue  of,  at  Thebes     432,  433 

I  Wine-cellars  of,  at  Thebes  .     480 

Ramses  III.  : 

Embellishes  Karnak  .  .  .     368 

Pavilion  of,  at  Thebes         .  .     415 

Great  Temple  of,  at  Thebes         .     416 
Inscriptions   recording   his  wars 
and  conquests        .  .  .     417 

Ramses  IV.  : 

Embellishes  Karnak.  .  .     368 

Red  Crater,  The  (Arizona)         587,  589,  590 
Red  Hand,    Symbolic    Paintings    of 
the  (Chi-chan-chob,   Chichen  Itza, 
Yucatan)     .         .  ...     640 

Red     Porphyry,     Inca    Fortress    of 

(Yucay  Valley,  Peru)     .  facing  641 

Rehan     .  .         .         .         .880 

Renaissance,  The  .  Introduction  xiv. 
Rhodes,  The  Colossus  of  Introduction  ii.,  vi. 
Rialto,  The  (Venice)  .  .  .740 

Rio   Janeiro,   Great   Tidal   ^^'ave   at 
(Brazil)  .  .         Introduction  xiii. 

Avenue  of  Palms  at       .  .  .     662 

Rio  Janeiro  Harbour  (Brazil)  .  674,  676 
R  ver-Pagoda  (Siam)        .  .  .     151 

Rocca,    Palace   of   the   Inca   (Cuzco, 

Peru)  ....       654, 657 

Rock-Cistern,  A  (Palestine)        .  88,  90 

Rocking-Stone,  The   (Tandil,  Argen- 
tina)      Introduction  xv.  ;    and  675,  676 
Rocks,  Curious  (Fontainebleau)       727-730 
Rocks,  Many-coloured  (Petra)  .  .     194 

Rock-Temple,  Buddhist  (Ajanta)  .  183 
Rock-Tomb,  A  (Jerusalem)  51, 52, 55, 56 
Rock-Tunnel,  Curious  (Niagara  River, 

U.S.A.) 545 

Rocky    Mountains,    Scenery    in    the 

(U.S.A.)  ....  535-538 
Rodadero  Hill,  The  (Cuzco,  Peru)  657,  658 
Romantics,  .irt-Period  of  the    . 

Introd^iction  xiii. 
Rome  : 

The  Forum  .  .  .  .789 

The  Column  of  Phocas  .  .  .790 

Arch  of  Septimius  Severus     .  .     791 

Temples  of  Saturn  and  Vespasian  .     792 
House  of  the  Vestal  Virgins  .  .     793 


Three  Views  of  the  Colosseum 


PAGE 

.  794, 
795,  796 
800,  801 

.     797 


79B 
799 
800 

868 
878 


202 
266 

663 


377 
371 
372 
760 

,768 


Description  of  Colosseum 

The  Arch  of  Constantine 

The  Arch  of  Titus 

The  Aqueduct  of  Claudius     . 

The  Stadimn 

Catacombs  in       . 

St.  Peter's 
Rotomahana,  Lake  (New  Zealand)    . 

340,  341,  343 
Royal    Throne    and    Throne- Room 

(Peking)      ....       105,106 
Ruanweli    Pagoda,    The   (Anuradha- 

pura,  Ceylon)        .  .  .       201 

Ruapehu,  Mount  (New  Zealand) 
Rumi-Chaca,  or  Natural  Stone  Bridge 

(Mendoza  River,  Argentina). 
Rummel    River,    The    (Constantine, 
Eastern  Algeria) : 

Natural  Bridge  over 

Gorge  of      .         . 

Stone  Viaduct  over 
Runic  Stone,  A  (Norway) 

Origin  of  Norse  Runes  .  .       761 

Ruwenzori,  The  Snow-Range  of  (Cen- 
tral Africa)  jacing  449  ;   and  470^73 

Distant  view  of    .         .         .         .     471 

References  of  Arab  geographers  to    472 

View  of  the  Mountain-chain  .         .      id. 

Exploration  by  Stanley,  Moore, 
Johnston  and  the  Duke  of 
Abruzziof  .         .       472,473 

S 

Sacbed    Bull,    Statue    of    (Mysore, 

India)  ....  49, 52 

Sacred  Bulls,  Cult  of  (Egypt)     .       422,424 
Sacred  Cave,  A  (Darjiling)         .  .     206 

Sacred  Tank,  A  (Dellii)      .     229,  230,  232 
Sacred  Well,  A  (Sardinia)  .  .     681 

Sacsahuaman,    Fortress     of    (Cuzco, 

Peru) 652 

Sakkara  ( Egypt )  : 

Step- Pyramid  of  .         .         .         .346 

Gigantic  prone  Statue  of  Ramses 
the  Great  at      .         .         .       397-399 

Description  and  View  of         .       423-425 
Saladin,  The  Sultan,  restores  Mosque 

at  Jerusalem        ....     208 
Samarkand,  Tonili  of  Timur  at  (Tar- 

tary 238,240 

Samoa  (South-west  Pacific  Islands) : 

Coral  Reefs  at      .  .  .       309, 310 

Blow-Hole  in  Reef  at    .  .       310,  312 

Sampan,  or  Boat  Pagoda,  The  Frontispiece 
San  Carlo  Bcrromeo  .  .  .     878 

Sanchi  Tope,  The  ( Bhilsa,  India)  44-^7 

Sand  Sea,  A  (Algeria)       .  .       421, 422 

Sandstone  Canyon,  A  (River  Arnon) 

174,  177,  178 
San  Gregorio  ....     869 

Saracenic    Art     (Algeria),    Exquisite 

examples  of  .  .  .       437, 438 


9o8 


The   Wonders   of   the   World 


PAGE 

Sarcophagus  of  Sacred  Bull  (Memphis, 

Egypt)         ....       422,424 
Sardinia,     Neolithic    Dwellings    and 

other  remains  in  .  .  .       681,  682 

Sarnath  Tope,  Tlie  (Benares,  India) 

facing  193 
Sciarra  del  Fuoco  ....  885 
Scheidegg,  The  Ridge  of  the       .  .     883 

Schreckhorn,  Gross  .  .         .     883 

Scotland 872 

Screw- Pine  Trees.Big  (Ceylon)  176, 178, 179 

Segesta 868 

Selinunte  .  .  .  .         870 

Sellin,    Professor,    makes    successful 

excavations  at  Jericho  .          .       146,  147 
Sentinel,   Tlie  (Buffalo  Ranges,  Vic- 
toria)  329,330 

Sequoyah   (George  Guess),  the  half- 
breed     Indian     Cadmus,     invents 
Cherokee  alphabet  and  writing       .     592 
Serapeion,  The  (Sakkara,  Egypt)  424,  425 
Seti  I.,  Tomb  of  King  (Thebes,  Egypt)     445 
Shah  Jehan,  The  Emperor  (India) : 

Builds  the  Great  Mosque  at  Delhi  .     130 

Builds  the  Pearl  Mosque  at  Agra     .     226 

Builds  the  Hall  of  Audience  at  Delhi     231 

Shiva,  Bas-reUef  of  (EUora,  India)     .       31 

SMva-TempIe,  The  (Madura)  178,  180, 

181,  182 
Shiva- Worship,  D«inition  of    .  56,  58 

Shrine  of  the  Manger,  The  (Bethle- 
hem)  ....     150,   155,  156 
Shway  Dagon  Pagoda,  View  of  the 

(Burma)  facing  129  ;    and  155-162 

Shwetha-Yaung  Statue,  The  (Pegu)  .       16 
Siniolchu,  Mount  (Sikkim)         .  41, 42 

Sirot,    Siamese    pointed    Nimbus    or 

Halo 197, 199 

Siwah,  Tlie  Oasis  of  (Egypt)    .  .     398 

Sixtine   Chapel,   The    (The   Vatican, 
Rome) : 

View  of 810 

Ceiling  of 811 

Skull-Frescoes  and  Mural  Ornaments 

Introduction  v. 

Skuo 872 

Sky-Scraper,  .4n  Insect        Introduction  iv. 
SkyrScrapers,  The  (New  York  City, 

U.S.A.)    ....       488-494 
Modern  Towers  of  3abel         .  .     488 

Height  and  dimefisions  of      .  .     489 

The  Flat-iron  Building.  .  .       id. 

Singer's  Manufacturing  Company's 

Building 490 

The  Metropolitan  Life  Building  at 

Night 491 

The  Metropolitan  Life  Building  by 

Day         ....       492,493 
Description  of      .  .  .       493, 494 

Solfatara,  The  (Pozzuoli,  Italy)      734,  735 
Solfatara  Country,  The  (New  Zealand) 

341,  342 
Soo-Chow,    The    Leaning    Tower    of 

(China)        ....     43,46,47 
Sorata,  Mount  (Bolivia)    .  .  .     669 


PAGE 

Soufriere,     La     (Guadeloupe,     West 

Indies)         ....       557,560 

Southern  Alps,  The  (New  Zealand)  273,  274 

Spallanzani     .....     885 

Sphinx  of  Giza,  The  (Egypt)    facing    353 

and  356-359 

Egyptian  name  of         .  .  .     357 

Dimensions  of       .  .  .  .       id. 

Probable  age  of    .  .  .  .       id. 

Temple  of 358 

Sphinxes,  The  (Wangaroa,  New  Zea- 
land)   314 

Sponge     Rocks,     The     (Eno-shima, 

Japan)        ....       126-128 
St.   Gothard   Tunnel,   The   (Switzer- 
land)       ....       683-685 
Its  remarkable  gradients,  loops  and 
spirals      .....     684 
St.  Gregory  of  the  Turnips        .  .     870 

St.  Mark's  Cathedral,  Views  and  de- 
scription of  (Venice)      .  .       738,739 
St.  Paul's  Cathedral  (London)   .       730-733 
St.  Peter's,  The  Cathedral  of  (Rome) : 
Description  of      .          .  .       812-816 

View  of 812 

The  Piazza  of       .  .  .  .813 

The  Dome  of        .  .  .  .814 

Canova's    Monument    to    the    last 

three  Stuart  Princes  .  .  .      id. 

Crypt  of  St.  Peter's       .  .       814, 816 

The  Interior  of  St.  Peter's     .  .     815 

The  Grotte  Nuove         .         .         .816 
The  Tomb  of  St.  Peter  .  .  .       id. 

The   Sarcophagus   of   the    Prefect 


.      id. 

854-856 
.  850 
.     857 


id. 


id. 
800 


294, 


Junius  Bassus  . 

St.  Petersburg  (Russia) : 

The  Palaces  of.  Description  of 

The  Winter  Palace 

Church  of  the  Resurrection   . 

A  Memorial  to  the  noble  murdered 
Emperor  Alexander  II. 

Its  wealth  of  silver,  marble,  jasper 
and  lapis-lazuli  decoration  . 
Stadium,  The  (Rome) 
Stalactites  and  Stalagmites  (views  of 

Australian)  255-259,  261-265,  293, 

302,  303,  335-339 
Stalagmite,    The    Minaret    (Jenolan 

Caves,  New  South  Wales)  Introduction  vii. 
Stalagmites,     Tree-like     Limestone 

(Grand  Canyon,  Arizona)       .       502, 504 

Staple,  A 874 

Stembach,  Erwin  '>f  .  .  .884 

Stephen,  Sir  Leslie  .  .  .  .884 

Step- Pyramid,  The  (Sakkara) 
Introduction 
Stonehenge,  Ruins  of  (near  Salisbury, 
Wilts.,  England) : 

Druidical  Temple 

Probable  date  of 

Views  of 

Description  of 

Its  double  enclosure 


and  346 


Introduction  iv. 

Introduction  ix. 

.       832, 833 

.     833 

.      id. 


Trilithons  and 
hirs 


Bluestone  "  Men- 


id. 


PAGE 

'■■  The  Friar's  Heel "  Menhir  .  .       id. 

The  Sun  Altar  ....  id. 
Stone  Lanterns,  The  (Nara,  Japan)  108-110 
Strasburg  .....  884 
Street  of  the  Camels  (Algiers)  .  425-427 
Stromboli  ....  884,885 
Stucco  Mouldings,   Maya  (Mayapan, 

Central  America).  .  .  .     636 

Stupa,  A  Buddhist ....         8 
Suez  Canal,  The  (Egypt)  .  .       372-377 

Waterway  from  Mansura  planned 
by  Ramses  the  Great  .         .     372 

Resumed  under  Persian  occupation      id. 

Completed  by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus     id. 

Repaired  by  the  Emperor  Trajan 

372,  373 

Present  route  planned  by  Napoleon    373 

View  of  narrowest  portion  of  .      id. 

Port  Said  entrance  to   .         .         .     374 

Scheme  of  M.  de  Lesseps        .         .      id. 

Length  of  .  .  .  .  .  376 
Sugar-Loaf  Mountain  (Rio,  Brazil)  674-676 
Sun,  The  Midnight  Introduction  i. 

Sun-Worship,  Mexican     .  .  .     540 

Superior,  Lake  (U.S.A.)    .       522,  524,  525 

Surtshellir 874 

Suspension    Bridge,    Iron   (Tsang-Po 

River,  Tibet)        .  .  .  12-14 

Sutherland  Falls,  The  (New  Zealand) 

facing  289  ;    and  290,  292 
Sydney  Harbour  (New  South  Wales) 

313-315 
Syracuse  : 

Greek  Theatre  at.  View  of     .         .     841 

Street  of  Tombs  at        .         .  .       id. 

"  Latomias,"  or  Stone  Quarries  at. 
Description  of  .  .      842,  869 

Imprisonment    of    captured  Athe- 
nians at  ....       id. 

Syracuse,     the     head     of     Dorian 
civilization        ....       id. 

Two  views  of       .         .         .       842, 843 


Table  Mountain  (Cape  Town,  South 
Africa)        ....       375-378 

Taj  Mahal,  The  (Agra,  India) : 

View  of        ....  facing    32 
Description  and  views  of       .  38-40 

Tomb  of  Shah  Jehan's  vnie ;    its 
romantic  story  .     36,  38-40,  42 

Tandil    Rocking-Stone,    The   (Argen- 
tina)      .   Introduction  xv.  ;  and  675,  676 

Taormina        ....       868, 869 

Tarawera,  Mount  (New  Zealand) : 

Description  of       .  .  .       341-344 

Great  Eruption  of         .  .       342, 344 

Tarragona,  City  of  (Spain) : 

Description  of      .  .  .  .     786 

Ancient  Cyclopean  Walls  of   .  .     787 

Tartar  Wall,  The  (China)  ...         1 

Tasman  Glacier,  The  (New  Zealand) 

274-276 


Index 


909 


PAGE 

.  319 
317,  318,  319 
.  318, 319 
.       319, 320 

.  283-285 
.     285 

.  285, 286 
.     283 


Tasmania  : 

The  Bevil's  Kitchen      . 
Eaglehawk  Neck 
Tasman's  Arch    . 
The  Tessellated  Pavement 
Taupo,  Lake  (New  Zealand) : 
Description  of 
Its  volcanic  zone  . 
The  Primrose  Terrace   . 
The  Mhite  Terrace 
Tehutimes,    or    Thothmes,  I.,    King 
(Egypt) : 
Completes    beautiful    Temple     at 

Karnak 361 

Its  massive  Pylons         .  .  .       id. 

Gallery  of  (Thebes,  Egypt)     .  .     417 

Tehutimes  III.,  King  ;  his  Temple  at 

Karnak 377 

Teide,  Peak  of  (Tenerife)  .  .       440-442 

Temple  : 

Arakan,  The  (Mandalay)        .       216-218 
Area,  Mosques  on  the  (Jerusalem) 

206-208 
Black,  The  (Kanarak,  India)  .     237 

Buddhist  (Sei-ken-ji,   Japan)    .       58,  60 
Curious  Mohammedan  Tree-Temple      22 

.  127 
10-13 
id.  id. 
187,  188 
.  223-226 
.  128 
79,  80 


Badri  Das  (Calcutta)     . 

Golden,  The  (Amritsar) 

Great  Sikh  (Amritsar)    . 

Isurumuniya  (Ceylon)  . 

Jagannath  (Piiri) 

Jain  (Calcutta)     . 

Lanterns  (Xara,  Japan) 

Monolithic  (Mahabalipur,  India)  138-140 

Mount  Minobu  (Japan)  .  94-96 

Of  Apollo  (Pompeii)      .  .  .745 

Of     Boro-Bodoer     (Bara-Buddha) 

(Western  Java)  ...  14 
Of  Diana  (Ephesus)  .  Introduction  ii.,  v. 
Of  Heaven  (Peking)      .  .  61-64 

Of  Isis  (Pompeii)  .  .  .  .749 

Of  Jupiter  (Baalbek)     .  .       162,164 

Of  Kame-Ido  (Tokyo,  Japan)         .     145 
Of  Nakhon  Wat  (Cambodia)       241,  242, 

245 
Of  Neptune  (Paestum,  Italy)  782,  784,  785 
Of    Prea-Sat-Ling-Poun    (Nakhon 

Thom,  Cambodia)      .  .  .     249 

Of  the  Five  Genii  (Canton)    168,  172,  173 
Of  the  Five  Hundred  Genii  (Canton) 

85-87 
Of  the  Holy  Tooth  (Kandy,  Ceylon)    198, 

200,  201 
Of  the  Sun  (Baalbek)    .  Introduction  ix.  ; 

and  163 
OftheSun(Cuzco,  Peru)        .  .     653 

Of  the  Tigers  (Chichen  Itza,  Central 

America)  ....     640 

Of   Thirty-three   Thousand    Three 

Hundred  and  Thirty-three  Gods 

(Kyoto,  Japan)  .  .       122-124 

Rameswaram   (Rama- Vishnu)         19,  20 

Yellow,  The  (Peking)    .  .       191-194 

Teotihuacan,    Pyramids   of   Sun  and 

Moon  at  (Mexico)  .  .       540-542 


781 
783 

358 
360 

id. 

id. 


443 


486 


PAGE 

Terraces,  Natural  (The  Grand  Canyon, 

Colorado  River)  ....     487 
Tessellated  Pavement,  The  (Tasmania) 

319,  320 
Theatre,   Ancient   Greek    (Taormina, 

Sicily)         ....       702,  703 
Theatre,   The   Roman   (Orange,   The 
Midi,  France) : 
Description  of      . 
View  of       ....         . 
Thebes,  City  of  (Egypt) ; 

Rise  of  ....  . 
Its  port,  Luxor  .... 
Its  Egyptian  name  ji pi 
The  Twin  Cities  of  Apt :  Apt-Asut 
(Karnak)  and  Apt- Reset  (Luxor) 
King  Usertsen  founds  the  Twelfth 

Dynasty  at        ...  .       id. 

Queen  Hatshopsitu  reigns  at  .  .       id. 

Marvellous  buildings  of  successive 

Kings  at  Thebes-Karnak    .       366-370 
Colossi  of  Memnon  at  Thebes  .       434r-436 
Thiy  the  Wealthy,  Tomb  of  (Sakkara, 

"  Egypt) : 
Paintings  on  walls  of      .         .       442-444 
Scenes      from      agricultural       Ufa    ' 
depicted  ..... 
Thor's  Hammer  (The  Grand  Canyon, 
Colorado  River,  North  America)    . 
Three    Monkeys,    Famous     Parable- 
carving  of  the  (Nikko,  Japan)    .  173,  176 
Tiahuanaco,  Ruins  of  (Upper  Peru)    . 

678-680 
Sculptured  MegaUthic  Doorway  at  .     678 
Details      of     Sculptures,      Heads 
of    Kings    and    Condor-headed 
Figures    ....       679,680 
Possible  connection  of    Easter   Is- 
land   Colossi    and    bird-headed 
Buna  figures  mth  a  prediluvian 
Andean  civiUzation  (vide  Easter 
Island)  ....     893 

Tidal-Bore,  Great  (Tsien-Tang  River, 

China)         ...  50, 52,  54, 55 

Tidal  Wave,  A  Mighty  (Rio  Janeiro, 

Brazil)         .  .  .  Introduction  xiii. 

Tikitere,    Valley    of    (New   Zealand) 

384-288 
The  Porridge  Pot 
The  Hot  Water  Falls     . 
The  Inferno 

Healing  Mineral  Baths  of 
Many-coloured  sulphur  deposits  at 
Timgad,  Ruins  of  (Eastern  Algeria) : 
Arch  of  Trajan  at 
Street  and  Roman  Ruins  at 
Triumphal  Arch  at 
Other  Roman  remains  . 
The  Theatre 
Timur,  Tomb  of  (Samarkand) 
Tiryns  (The  Cyclopean  Walls  of  (South 

West  Greece)       .         .       726,  728,  729 
Titicaca,  Lake  (Peru) : 

Inca  legend  of      .  .  .  .     642 

Ancient  ruins  on  Islands  in    .  .     680 


284 
285 
286 

287 
288 


458 
.  459 
.     460 

460, 461 
.       id. 

238,  240 


PAGB 

Tlemjen  (Western  Algeria) : 
The  Grand  Mosque  of   .         .       437^40 
The  Mosque  of   Sidi-bu-Medin   at 

467-470 

Toad  Rock,  The  (Mount  Abu)   .  57-59 

Tomb: 

A  (North  China)  .         .         144,149,150 
Of    Abraham,     Isaac    and    Jacob 

(Hebron)  .  ,  .       140,  143 

Of  Eve  (Jeddah,  Arabia)        .       218,  220 
Of   King  Itimad-ud-daulah  (-Vgra, 

India)  ....  98-100 
Of  Mahmi'id  (Bijapur,  India)  .  237,  239 
Of  the  First  Tashi  Lama  (Tibet)  100,  101 
Of     Thiy   the   Wealthy   (Sakkara, 

Egypt)  ....  442-443 
Of  Timur  (Samarkand)  .       238, 240 

The  Garden  Tomb  (Jerusalem)  204-206 
The   Traditional    Tomb   of    Christ 

Introduction  i. 

Tombs   of   the   CaUphs   or   Mamluk 

Sultans  of  Egypt  (Cairo)     facing  417  ; 
and  413-415,  447,  448 
Of  the  Khirghiz  (Siberia)        .       112-114 
Of  the  Kings  of  Egypt  (Thebes)  443-446 
Of  the  Kings  of  Tonga  .  .  .298 

The  Yellow  Marble  Tombs  (Agra, 
India)       .  .  .  .  97,98 

Tonga  (South-West  Pacific  Islands) : 
Prehistoric  Monument  on       .       296-298 
Ancient  Tombs  of  Kings  at    .  .     298 

Torii,    A   South  Sea   Island  (Tonga, 
South-West  Pacific)      .  .       296-298 

Torii,  The  Great  (Nikko,  Japan)        .       78 

Torpedo  Rock,  The  (Buffalo  Ranges, 
Victoria,  South-West  AustraUa)      .     329 

Torrent  of  San  Francesco  .  .  .     869 

Totem  Poles,  Indian  (North  America) 

526,  528-530,  593,  596,  597 

Tower  of  Babel,  The  (Garden  of  the 
Gods,  Colorado,  U.S.A.)        .       564, 565 

Tower    of    Nankin,    The    Porcelain 

Introduction  iv. 

Tower  of  Pisa,  The  Leaning,  Introduction  iv. 

Tower  of  Silence,  A  Parsee  (Bombay) 

Introduction  xii.  ;  and  109, 110, 112 

Towers  of  Bologna,  The  Leaning        .     786 

Trajan's  Column  (Rome)  .       804, 805 

Trangisvaag    .....     872 

Trilithon,  A  South  Sea  (Tonga,  South- 
West  Pacific)       .         .         .       296-298 

Triumphal   Arch,  The  Emperor  Ak- 
bar's  (Fatipur-Sikri,  India),   166, 169, 170 

Troglodytes,  or  Cave-Dwellers  (North 
Africa)  .  .  .  Introduction  viii. 

Tsang-Po  River,  Wonderful  Bridge  on 
the 12-14 

Tsien-Tang  River,  Great  Tidal-Bore 
on  the  (China)       .  .       50,  52,  54,  55 

Tub,    The   (Wombeyan   Caves,    New 
South  Wales)       .  .  .       302,  304 

Tunis  (French  North  Africa)  : 
Mosque  of  the  OUve-Tree  at  .         .     379 
Splendid  Library  at      .  .         .     383 

Roman  Aqueduct  at       .         .     425, 426 


9IO 


The  Wonders  of  the  World 


Tunnelled    Rock,    The    (Torghatten, 

Norway)      ....       706-709 
Turquoise  Mine,  A  Famous  ( Persia)  205, 206 
Twelve- Angled   Stone,    A   Monstrous 
(Cuzco,     Peru),     Cyclopean     Inca 
Masonry      .....     650 

U 

Udaipub,  Lake-Palace  of  (India)  136 

Ulm  Cathedral  (South  Germany)       .     763, 

76.5,  766 

Ulwar  (India) : 

Sacred  Tank  at    .  .  .     facing  65 

Second  view  of     .         .         .         .97 

Underground  Temple,   An  (Sardinia)     682 

Urbino 869 

Utah,  the  Devil's  Slide  (Weber's  Can- 
yon)   ......     597 

Uxmal  (Yucatan,  Central  America) : 

The  Governor's  Palace  .  .  .     637 

The  Nunnery        .  .  .  .638 

Human  Sacrifices  at     .          .       638,  639 
The  Drowning  Cenote,  or  Sacrificial 
Pool 639 


Valebiav's    Bridge,    The    Emperor 


222,  224 


804-812 
804 
id. 
805 
id. 
id. 
id. 

806,  812 


808 
807 
808 


(Shushter,  Western  Persia) 
Vatican,  The  (Home) : 

Description  of 

Its  thousands  of  cljambers 

Its  Museums 

The  Papal  Court  . 

Raphael's  Loggie 

The  Bronze  Door 

The  Vatican  Gardens 

The  Castle  of  St.  Angelo 

The  Vatican  Buildings  and  dates  of 
construction     .  .  .       806, 

The  Rotonda 

View  of  the  Vatican 

The  Vatican  Sculpture  Gallery 

Its  antique  statues   and   priceles: 
art  treasures 

The  Etruscan  Maseum  . 

The  Egyptian  Museum  . 

The  Vatican  Library     . 

The  Christian  and  Profane  Museum 

The  Picture  Gallery 

"  The  Transfiguration,"  Picture  by 
Raphael 

The  Leonine  Library  of  Book 

Its  unique  classical   and  mediaeval 
coUectiDn  of  manuscripts 

The  Sixtine.  Chapel 

Pre-Raphaelite  frescoes 

"  The  Last  .Judgment,"  by  Michel- 
angelo 

The  CeiUng  of  the  Sixtine  Chapel 
(Michelangelo's  masterpiece) 
Venezuela,  or  "  Little  Venice  "  (South 

America),  Indian  Pile-Dwellings  on 

Lake  Maracaibo  .  .  .       664, 665 


id. 
810 
id. 


811 


id. 
id. 
809 
id. 
id. 


PAGE 

Venice  (Italy) : 

Venice 874 

General  view  of  facing  705  ;  and  735 
The  Doge's  Palace  .  .  736,  737 
Interior  of  St.  Mark's  Cathedral  .  738 
Piazza  of  St.  Mark's     .  .  .739 

The  Rialto  .         .         .         .740 

The  Bridge  of  Sighs       .         .         .741 

Ventana,  or  Window  Mountain,  The 
(Argentina,  South  America)  .       671-673 

Versailles 886 

Vespasian,  The  Emperor,  builds  the 
ColosseumAmphitheatre  Introduction  viii. 

Vesta,  The  Temple  of  (Rome)    .       802,804 

Vesuvius,  Mount  (Naples,  Italy) : 

View  of        ....  .     754 

View  of  Naples  and  Vesuvius         .     755 

Lava-flow 756 

Pliny's  Description  of  Great  Erup- 
tion          757 

The  Crater id. 

Modern  Lava-flows        .  .  .     758 

Via  Appia,  The  (Rome)    .  .801,802,804 

Victoria  (South-West  Australia)  : 
The  Buffalo  Ranges      .         .       326-330 
The  Kissing  Stones       .         .       328, 329 
The  Sentinel        .         .         .       329-330 
The  Torpedo         .  .  .  .329 

Victoria  Falls,  The  (Zambesi  River, 
South  Central  .\frica) : 
View  of    .  .  Introduction  facing  xvi. 

Four  views  of,  and  description  392-395 
Garden  Island      ....     394 

Village  of  Sea-Dyaks  (Borneo)  .       314,  316 

Virgins  of  the  Sun  (Peru) : 

Their  strict  seclusion    .  .  .     656 

Sunda-Javanese  or  Hindu-Malay 
origin  of  this  Inca  custom  {vide 
sub  voce  Easter  Island) 

Visconti,  Gian  Galeazzo    .  .  .     878 

Vishnu,    Sacred    Well    of    (Benares, 
India)  ....  80,82 

Volcanic  eruption  : 

Chinzeros,  Tenerife       .  .  .     442 

Izalco,  Mount  (St.  Salvador,  Central 

America)  ....     647 

Mont  Pelee  (West  Indies)      .       513-515 

Volcano  : 

Asama-Yama  (Japan    .  .  22-24 

Izalco  (St.  Salvador,  Central 
America)  .         .         .       646-649 

Volcanoes  in  Iceland      .    .         .         .     873 

Votive  Spires,  or  Prachedi  (Siam)  197,  198 


W 


Wadi  Halfa  (Egypt),  The  real 
frontier  of  the  Land  of  the 
Pharaohs 386 

Wai-kato,  or  "  Mighty  Water,"  The 
River  Rapids  on  (New  Zealand)    .    282, 

286,  287 

Wai-kite,  or  "  The  Waters  of  Know- 
ledge," Boiling  Well  at  (New  Zea- 
land) ....       305,306 


Wai-koro-hilii,  or  "  The 
spurt  in  a  Hound  Jet, 
(New  Zealand)     . 

Wailing- Place     of     the 
(Jerusalem) 


page 

Waters  that 
"  Geyser  of 

.     270 
The 
108,  200 


Jews 


Wai-Mangu,       or       "Black-Water" 
Geyser,  The  (New  Zealand)    .         Intro- 
duction iii.  ;    and  332-334 
Wai-o-tapu,  or  "  Waters  of  Prohihi- 
tion,"  Valley  of  (New  Zealand) 

292,  293 
The  Devil's  Bridge  at  .  .  .  289 
Lovely  colouring  of  rock-strata  at  .  292 
The  Giant's  Porridge  Pot  at  .  .     293 

Wai-rakei,  or  "  Waters  of  PtUting  on 
Arrnour,"    Valley    of  (New  Zea- 
land)        .  .  .       337,340,341 
The  Champagne  Pool  at         .       337,  340 
The  Dragon's  Mouth  at         .       337,  341 
Wai-Roa,    or    "  The   Long    Waters " 
New  Zealand) : 
Geyser  of    .         .         .         .       267-270 
Havoc  of  volcanic  eruption  at    287,  289 
Wall  of  China,  The  Great  Introduction  iv. 
Walls    and    Hanging    Gardens,    The 

(Babylon)      .  .  .   Introduction  v. 

Walls  of  Peking,  The         .      169,  173,  174 
Washington  Memorial,  The  (Washing- 
ton City,  U.S.A.)       .  .       511,512 
Its  beauty,  dignity  and  simplicity  .     512 
Wat-Chang   Pagoda,   The  (Bangkok, 

Siam)  ....  89,  90 

Wat-Phra-Keo   Temple,   The   (Siam) 

46,  47, 51 
Wat  Po  Temple,  The  ( Bangkok,  Siam) 

196-199 
Wat  Suthat  Temple,  The  (Bangkok, 

Siam)  ....       188-190 

Water-Clock,  The  (Canton)        .     72,  74,  75 
Waterfall     of     Kegon-no-Taki,     The 

(Japan)        ....  92-94 

Western  AustraUa : 

Caves  in      ....       333-337 
Blackboy  Hollow  .  .       336-338 

Calgardup  Caves  .  .       336-339 

Stalactite  and  stalagmite  formations 

at id.,  id. 

Yallingup  Caves  .  .  .        334-336 

Western   Java,    Pyramid   Temple   of 


Boro-Bodoer  in    . 

14 

Westminster  Abbey  (Londo:i)  : 

View  of               ... 

858 

Brief  description  of       .          .       858-861 

Its  Dedication  to  St.  Peter    . 

858 

Legend  of  its  Consecration    . 

id. 

Building  of  Choir  and  Transepts  by 

Edward  the  Confessor 

id. 

Renewed  by  Henry  III. 

id. 

Early  EngUsh  architecture  of 

id. 

View  of  Henry  VII.'s  Chapel 

859 

DeUcate  Fan-tracery  of  Roof 

861 

Bronze  Entrance-gates. 

id. 

Triforium  Gallery 

id. 

St.  Edward's  Chapel      . 

id. 

The  Cloisters 

id. 

Index 


911 


PAGE 

Wetterhom 881 

Whaka-rewarewa,   Geysers   of   (New 

Zealand) 266 

Whirlpool,      The     (Niagara     Falls, 

U.S.A.) 547 

Whirlpool  Rapids,  The  (Nigara  Falls, 

U.S.A.) 550 

White    Terrace,    The    (Taupo,    New 

Zealand)       .         .         .     283,  285,  286 
Williams,  Leader      .  .  .  .870 

Wistarias,  Giant  (Japan)  145-147, 150,  152 
WoUondilly  Caves,  The  (New  South 

Wales)         ....       303,304 
Wombeyan  Caves,  The  (New  South 

Wales)        ....       302,304 
Wonderful     Bridge,     A     (Tsang-Po 

River,  Tibet)        .  .  12-14 

Wonders  of  the  World,  The  Seven 

Introdtiction  ii. 
Wood,  Mr.  J.  T.,  explores  Temple  of 

Diana  at  Ephesus  Introdtiction  v. 


Xenocles 881 

Xerxes,  The  Porch   of  King  (Perse- 

polis,  Persia)    .         .         .         .211 
Audience  Hall  of  .         .         .     212 


Yacha-Huasi    (Houses     of     Know- 
ledge ")  (Cuzco,  Peru),.Inca  schools    657 

Yaks    crossing   river    on    Ice-bridge 
(Tibet)         ....       Ill,  113 

Yallingup     Caves,      The     (Western 
AustraUa)    ....       334-336 

Yang-tse-Kiang,  Gorge  of  the  River 
(China)        .         .         .         .59,60,  62 

Yarrangobilly  Caves,  The  (New  South 

Wales)     ....       293,294 
Many-coloured      stalactites      and 
stalagmites  at  .         .         .  id.,  id. 

Yellow  Marble  Tombs,   The   (Agra, 
India)  ....  97-98 

Yellowstone    Park,    The    (Montana, 
U.S.A.): 
Cleopatra  Terrace         .         .         .     493 
Pulpit  Terrace     .         .         .         .494 
Exploration  of  district  by  Wash- 
burn and  Lieut.  Doane      .       494,  496 
Jupiter  Terrace    ....     495 


PAGE 

Mammoth  Hot  Springs  .         .     496 

Marrellous  colouring  of  strata  .  497 
Liberty  Cap  ....  id. 
The  Devil's  Kitchen  .  .  .498 
The  Fountain  Geyser    .  .  facing  513 

The  Norris  Basin  : 

Description  of  .         .         .       518, 520 

View  of 523 

The  Lower  Geyser  Basin  .  521,  522 
The  Devil's  Inkwell       .  .  .522 

The  Mammoth  Paint  Pots  .  522,  524 
The  Great  Fountain  Geyser  .  .     524 

The  Upper  Geyser  Basin  .  566-572 
Sunrise  in  Yellowstone  Park  .  .  568 
The  Grotto  Geyser         .  .  .569 

"  Old  Faiihjul"  Geyser  .       570-572 

The  Punch-Bowl  .         .         .572 

"  The    Horning    Glory,"    brilliant 

blue  sinter-strata      .         .         .     573 

The  Sapphire  Hot  Springs     .  facing  577 

Yomei  Gate,  The  (Nikko,  Japan)        .    172, 

174,  176 
Yoruba-land  (West  Africa) : 

Peculiar    Negro    Art   and    Nature- 

worsliip  of        .         .         .       446, 447 
Fetish  Houses     ....     448 
Yosemite  Valley,  The  (U.S.A.)       584-589 
The  Yosemite  Falls  : 

View  of    .  .  .  .  .     583 

Description  of  .  .       585, 586 

The  Agassiz  Column      .  .  .582 

The  Three  Brothers  and  El  Capitan 

Bluff 584 

Hanging  Rock,  Glacier  Point  .  585 
Liberty  Cap  ....  586 
Washington  Column      .  .  .      id. 

The  Half  Dome    .  .  .  .588 

Panorama  Rock  and  Vernal  Falls 

588,  587 
Nevada  Falls        .  .  .  .589 

Yucatan,    The      Ruins    of     (Central 

America)  .  .  .       633-641 

The  Palace,  Sayil  .  .  .633 

The  "  Caracol,"  or  "  Winding  Stair- 
case," of  Chichen  Itza        .         .     634 
Colossal  Head  (Cancun  Island)       .     635 
Chichen  Itza,  City  of    .  .  .       id. 

"  Cenotes,"  or  Natural  Reservoirs  .       id. 
Quaint    Stucco-mouldings    (Maya- 
pan)         .....     636 
The  Governor's  Palace  (Uxmal)    .     637 
The  Nunnery  (Uxmal)  .  .  .638 


PAGE 

Human  Sacrifices  .         .         .     639 

The  Dro^vning  Pool       .         .         .      id. 
The  Tennis  Court  .         .       639-640 

Arched  Gateway  at  Labua  .  .  639 
Pyramid-Temple  at  Chichen  Itza  .  640 
Temple  of  the  Tigers  .  .  .  id. 
Akad-Zib,  or  "  House  of  Hiero- 
glyphs "  ....  id. 
Clii-chan-chob,  "  The  Red  House  "  .  id. 
Wall-Paintings   of  the   Red   Hand 

Symbol     .  .  .  .  .id. 

Ruined  City  of  Palenque  (Tabasco)    641 
Monolithic    Stclse    of    Copan    and 
Quirigna  ....       id. 

Yung-Hsien,  Rock- Buddha  at  .  .       10 

Yung-Lo,  The  Chinese  Emperor,  con- 
structs Porcelain  Tower  at  Nankia 

Introduction  x. 


Zambesi  River,  The  (South  Central 
Africa) : 
The  Victoria  Falls  on    .  .       392-395 

Discovery    of    the     Zambesi     by 
Livingstone       ....     393 

Zermatt 876 

Zeus 878 

Zimbabwe    Ruins,    The    (Rhodesia, 

South  Africa)   .         .         .       410-413 
Ancient  gold-mining  operations  at 

410,  412 
Portuguese  discovery  of  .  .  410 
German  exploration  of  .  .       id. 

Further  exploration  by  Rhodesian 

pioneers  and  British  savants  of      id. 
Herring- Bone     Frieze     on     Outer 

Wall 411 

A  Round  Tower   ....      id. 
A  Temple  Platform       .         .         .412 
Mining  implements  discovered  at  .       id. 
Supposed    Phoenician,    or    South- 
western Arabian  origin  of  ruins,      id. 
Lofty  walls  and  solid  masonry  of  .     413 
Sculptured  monoliths  at  Zimbabwe 
showing  Egyptian  cult  of  Set     .     476 
Zinnen,  Drei  ("  The  Three  Peaks  ") : 

Description  of     .         .         .         .     782 
The   Dolomites   (Southern   Tyrol), 

View  of 784 

Zuni  Indians,  The  (Arizona,  U.S.A.)    617 
Zurich    ......     881 


CORRIGENDA 

On  page  i.,  under  the  picture  of  The  Midnight  Sun,  for  "  from  about  the  middle  of  IMay  to  the  end 
of  July,"  read   "  for  a  period  of  the  year  which  varies  according  to  the  position  of  the  place." 

The  illustration  on  page  28  is  that  of  the  Gunta  Raj,  not  Gomatesvara,  a  photograph  of  which  will 
be  found  on  page  208. 

On  page  84,  in  the  first  line  of  the  description  of  the  illustration,  for  "  cast-iron,"  read  "  wrought-iron." 
A  description  of  this  pillar  is  given  in  the  Appendix. 

On  page  146,  for  acknowledgment  of  lower  photograph  to  "  H.  C.  White  Co.,"  read  "  Underwood 
and  Underwood." 

On  page  313,  on  line  13,  for  "  in  memory  of  the  mining  country  of  England,"  etc.,  read  "  from  some 
slight  resemblance  he  discovered  in  the  coast-line  to  that  of  South  Wales." 

On  page  394,  in  the  first  line,  underneath  the  title  to  the  illustration,  for  "  island  "  read  "  peninsula." 

On  page  402,  the  acknowledgment  of  the  photograph  of  the  sandstorm  should  be  to  "  K.  Rice-Oxley." 

On  page  522,  for  acknowledgment  of  photograph  read  "  H.  C.  White  Co." 

On  page  594,  in  the  fourth  line  of  the  article  on  Burial  in  the  Philippine  Islands,  for  "  Hindoo  "  read 
"  Parsee." 

On  page  631,  for  acknowledgment  of  photograph,  read  from  "  stereo  copyright  by  Underwood  and 
Underwood." 

On  page  648,  the  illustration  is  of  the  crater  of  Irazu,  Costa  Rica. 

On  page  649,  line  20,  for  "  6,000  feet,"  read  "  over  19,000  feet." 

On  page  669,  line  12,  for  "  22,500  feet,"  read  "  21,520  feet." 

On  page  684,  insert  after  title  of  illustration,  "  Kloster  Ingenbohl." 

On  page  714,  for  title  of  illustration  read  "  The  Walls  of  the  Acropolis,  Corinth." 
For  the  lines  beneath  the  illustration  read  : 

These  walls  are  a  splendid  specimen  of  the  typical  structures  to  be  found  in  Greece.  Five  periods 
of  building  can  here  be  identified — that  is  to  say,  Pelasgic  and  Hellenic  foundations,  with  Prankish, 
Venetian  and  Turkish  additions. 

On  page  730,  the  lines  beneath  the  picture  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral  should  read  :  "  A  view  of  St.  Paul's 
from  the  south-east  side  of  the  river." 

On  page  732,  line  46,  for  "  east  "  read  "  west." 

On  page  756,  for  acknowledgment  of  illustration,  for  "  S.  E.  Whiting,"  read  "  Frank  E.  Whiting." 

On  page  833,  with  reference  to  the  article  on  Stonehenge,  it  should  be  pointed  out  that  many  theories 
exist  as  regards  the  origin  of  these  monoliths  ;  particularly  worthy  of  mention  is  that  which  assigns  their 
construction  to  the  primitive  Picts. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
BERKELEY 

Return  to  desk  from  which  borrowed. 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 

REC'u  LD 
MAR  2  3  1959 

Spar'SSOA 
APR      819580^'. 

1 

1 

1 

.  23  flB 

2«*^^^^'^ 

! 

LD  21-100m-7,'52(A2528s 

16)476 

XF005410 


iv[309562